A new firefighter will be joining the Cal Fire crew in Fire Country‘s

second season, and he has connection to a beloved character.

Fire Country is CBS’ drama series centered on the personal

and professional lives of firefighters at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (also known as Cal Fire), as well as the inmates who participate in the effort to reduce their prison time. It stars Max Thieriot as Bode Donovan, a young convict with a troubled past who joins the inmate firefighter program to redeem himself and shorten his prison sentence. Bode is assigned to his hometown in Northern California, where he must work alongside his former friends and other inmates as they fight wild fires that plague the region. Thieriot also co-created the series based off of his own experience growing up in fire country.

The series first premiered in October 2022 and was an instant hit; it became one of primetime television’s most-watched shows of 2022 and 2023, with more than 10 million viewers tuning in by the middle of the first season. Fire Country was quickly picked up for a Season 2 in January 2023 and there has even been talk of multiple spinoff series.

The second season, which premieres in February 2024, will feature several new faces. Dynasty reboot star Rafael de la Fuente was previously announced as a new cast addition, and Deadline is now reporting that two more actors will be joining Season 2 as recurring characters.

Jason O’Mara is set to appear in the upcoming season as Liam, a hunky firefighter with a relaxed confidence. Liam also has a connection to fan-favorite Sharon Leone (Diane Farr). The two are former colleagues and Liam will reportedly be very excited to run into Sharon again. Sharon is married to Vince Leone (Billy Burke), but the couple faced relationship struggles in the first season when their estranged son Bode returned to town. Liam’s arrival could potentially cause some tension in Sharon and Vince’s relationship, which is already on the rocks. In Season 1, Sharon found out that Vince was the reason Bode left home following the death of his sister Riley.

Joining O’Mara is Tye White, who will star as Cole, a former MMA fighter and Bode’s prison cellmate. Like Bode, Cole has also made mistakes in the past and is seeking redemption in hopes of becoming a better man.Both actors may look familiar to fans; White recently starred on NBC’s American Auto for two seasons and has appeared on Chicago Fire, NCIS: Los Angeles, and American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, while O’Mara currently stars in the third season of the Irish thriller-drama Smother, for which he won Best Lead Actor in a Drama at the 2023 IFTAs. He has also had roles in Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle, Apple’s Truth Be Told and The Good Wife.