Where was Chicago Fire shot? Revisiting key filming locations of the NBC procedural 

Chicago Fire executive producer Demetra Diamantopoulos spoke to NBC Insider and revealed how the team shot Chicago Fire, being intentional about where each scene is set, considering the narrative, character context, production budget, and other logistics.

The show features a firehouse, inspired by the real-life Chicago Fire Department Engine 18, located in Chicago's Near West Side. Both interior and exterior scenes were filmed in this firehouse. Some additional shots were also filmed at Cinespace Film Studios.

Keep reading to find more crucial details about the filming of Chicago Fire.

Where was Chicago Fire shot? Revisiting key filming locations

As mentioned, the central firehouse, Engine 18, was the primary location for filming. Co-executive producer Demetra Diamantopoulos also talked about the filming locations in a 2024 conversation with NBC Insider.

"Engine 18 is our second home!" Diamantopoulos said. "We find ourselves filming there at least three days a month. The members of that house treat us well, and we feel that they are part of the Chicago Fire family."

The city almost becomes a character in the show. The iconic bar where Firehouse 51 members usually hang out was originally filmed at Lottie's Pub in the Bucktown neighbourhood. The location matched the look of Chicago they wanted for the show, but soon the bar became a tourist hotspot. The team then had to build a replica in the Cinespace studio for convenience.

However, some exterior shots are still filmed at the real location, like the Casey and Brett send-off scene in season 12.

It is always the script that determines the type of neighbourhood they will show; the details in the production design depend on the class of people the fire department is saving this time.

"We take the story and characters into account when we first receive a script," Diamantopoulos explained. "Are the people we’re rescuing affluent or poor or somewhere in between? What is the rescue, a fire, a person trapped?"

On this basis, the neighbourhood is then decided to match the story and the character's needs.

The characters and story defined the shooting neighbourhood in Chicago Fire

Pilsen and Bridgeport are the areas used when the characters are involved with blue-collar employees or middle-class families, while for featuring affluent characters, locations like Lincoln Park and The Gold Coast have been used, the comparatively elite streets of Chicago.

"Once we know our characters and the general architecture we need, we begin to consider logistics," Diamantopoulos continued. "Is the neighbourhood amenable to street closures? Are we moving to another location on the same day?"

The crew then looks for the filming permits and the distance between one location to another to manage the travel time on shoot days. The lesser the travel time, the more efficiently they can shoot. The producer shared that a typical shooting shift is 12 hours, and the crew often clusters locations to stay efficient. Like they can first cover the scenes to be shot near one primary location in a day.

Diamantopoulos shared that they shot at various locations through 14 seasons, but still, they keep finding hidden treasures in the city.

"There are so many places we love to film and, even after 12 seasons, we find new ones all the time. I think one of our favorites would be North Avenue Beach, especially on a beautiful summer day," Diamantopoulos said.

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Chicago Fire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC and is available to stream the following day on Peacock.

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