Why Chicago Fire Is Not Airing On Its Regular Timeslot Tonight (March 4) & When Season 14, Episode 13 Releases

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Okay, so if you’re a “One Chicago” fan like me, you might be wondering why “Chicago Fire” isn’t on tonight, March 14th, 2026. Basically, the whole franchise started airing earlier in the season this year, which meant their winter break came sooner too. They came back from that, but now NBC’s Winter Olympics are happening, so they had to pause again. Good news though – “Chicago Fire” season 14, along with seasons 13 of “Chicago PD” and 11 of “Chicago Med”, are all set to return with new episodes soon!

With the current TV season winding down, storylines are reaching their conclusions. For the characters on Firehouse 51, this means Kelly Severide and Stella Kidd’s journey to start a family should see some progress. It’s been a challenging process for them, filled with setbacks. Additionally, the show will see some cast changes, as Dermot Mulroney is temporarily leaving his role as Dom Pascal.

It’s still unclear how NBC and Wolf Entertainment will handle the various storylines that have unfolded on Chicago Fire recently. While fans are eager for the show’s return tonight, it’s important to be aware of some changes to the usual schedule.

Chicago Fire Season 14 Switches Timeslot With Chicago Med Season 11

The new seasons of the One Chicago shows are starting tonight, but Chicago Fire season 14 won’t be on at its regular time. It’s moving up to 8 PM ET instead of 9 PM ET, and will air in the spot usually reserved for Chicago Med season 12. NBC is making this temporary timeslot switch to prepare for a big One Chicago crossover event planned for 2026.

This schedule change won’t last forever. After this week’s big event on network TV, seasons 14 of Chicago Fire and 11 of Chicago Med will return to their regular times. While NBC’s decision might seem a little rushed, especially during this important part of the One Chicago season, the reason behind it is the crossover event itself – that’s why NBC and Wolf Entertainment are making this temporary adjustment.

Following the successful crossover style of 2025, NBC will launch the three-part “Reckoning” event with the team from Firehouse 51 responding to an emergency at an airport. This initial call will kick off a series of puzzling events that will eventually draw in the teams from Gaffney Chicago Medical and Intelligence. As with past crossovers, viewers can anticipate seeing new and unexpected character combinations throughout the event.

Why Chicago Fire Opens The 2026 One Chicago Crossover

NBC

It makes sense that the upcoming One Chicago crossover will begin with the show ‘Chicago Fire’. Most stories start with an event that brings heroes together, and in Chicago, the fire department is usually the first to respond to emergencies. This crossover will likely follow that pattern, with Firehouse 51 being called to the initial scene.

Once the fire department confirmed the situation was under control, doctors from Gaffney Medical arrived to provide further medical assistance, particularly if the paramedics on Ambulance 61 were overwhelmed. Following that, an investigation into the cause of the incident began, bringing in Voight and the Intelligence Unit. This time, they’ll be joined by former team members Hailey Upton and Jay Halstead.

Even though Chicago Fire is kicking off the 2026 One Chicago crossover event, they won’t necessarily only appear in the first hour. NBC typically designs these events as a single, continuous three-hour story, not as separate segments. So, while Firehouse 51 will likely be most involved at the beginning, expect to see them throughout the entire event until the central problem is solved.

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2026-03-04 22:38