THE HEAT IS ON

Rob Lowe’s heroic fire chief is engulfed in drama at home as well as on the streets of Austin as 9-1-1: Lone Star returns

Epic dust storms, a runaway tank, and even a swarm of angry scorpions – just some of the challenges facing Rob Lowe’s fire chief in the new thrill-a-minute series of hit drama 9-1-1: Lone Star.

‘The scriptwriters have pulled out all the stops for season two,’ says former West Wing star Rob. ‘Sure, it’s larger than life but it’s also super-believable.’

The show follows a team of hero first-responders in Austin, Texas, led by Rob’s character Captain Owen Strand. He moved to the Lone Star State after his New York fire crew were wiped out in the Twin Towers terror attack, an event blamed for the onset of Owen’s lung cancer.

Though that’s now in remission, he’s not having an easy time as the second series begins. His ex-wife’s moved in to care for their son, who was shot in the last series, and she and Owen can’t stop rowing. And there’s no respite at work, where he has to deal with an out-of-control military tank in downtown Austin and a pile-up at a roller-skating event.

On top of that Owen’s got to build a good working relationship with a new chief paramedic, Tommy Vega – she’s stepped in for Liv Tyler’s character Michelle Blake, who quit to help the homeless. Tommy is supporting her family financially after Covid-19 caused her husband’s restaurant to go under. Owen’s also a friendin-need for colleagues Marjan Marwani, a firefighter/paramedic, and firefighter Judd Ryder, the sole survivor from his original unit after a disaster. Both seek Captain Strand’s support – Marjan when she receives some surprising news from her fiancé, and Judd because of an awkward complication in his private life.

‘It’s fair to say that Strand has his plate full both at home and at work,’ says Rob. ‘But he’s a good man, determined to keep the people of Austin safe from some pretty amazing threats.

‘Viewers will see volcanic sinkholes opening up all over the city in episode two, and a wildfire that threatens to engulf the whole of Austin in episode three.’ And he promises that the

finale – a powerful and deadly dust storm several miles wide – will top the massive solar storm which was the climax to series one. ‘Filming that dust storm episode was crazyhard to pull off. It involved multiple wind machines and an awful lot of planning. But it was proof that everything had stepped up a level for this new series.’

Rob hopes 9-1-1: Lone Star serves as a tribute to the first-responders who have worked hard to save lives across the world over the last year. ‘Frontline staff have done such good work during the pandemic,’ he says. ‘It’s so important to pay tribute to them and represent their work in as authentic a way as possible.’ n

James Peachey 9-1-1: Lone Star, Monday, 10pm, Sky Witness.