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CBS's popular drama series, Fire Country, premiered its Season 4 on October 17, 2025. While most of the cast was back, the viewers and the characters were still dealing with the loss of Battalion Chief Vince Leone, played by Billy Burke. In the Season 3 finale, Vince died when a building collapsed during the Zabel Ridge Fire.
Vince's death was revealed in the Fire Country Season 4 trailer and was not kept a secret until the premiere. Vince was among the beloved characters from the show, leaving fans shocked with Billy Burke's departure. The co-creator of the show, Tom Phelan, shared with TV Insider that the killing of Burke's character, Vince, was a creative decision to move the story forward.
He further shared that the loss of Billy Burke's character, Vince, will have a greater influence this season, as he was one of the most respectable characters of the action drama series. It will also make the younger generation of firefighters take up more responsible roles.
More on this in our story.
Why did Billy Burke leave Fire Country? Reason Explored
Over three seasons of Fire Country, we have seen the firefighters of Cal Fire protect their town from dangerous and life-threatening fire incidents, keeping the residents safe. The job of a firefighter means risking their own lives every time they are on a mission to put out a huge fire.
Billy Burke's Vince's death is the most authentic moment of the show, as he died while rescuing and putting out the Zabel Ridge Fire. He was a Cal Fire Battalion Chief; hence, his death will affect the whole community and can be seen in the premiere episode of Season 4 itself.
Vince's death means the exit of Billy Burke from the show, which was shocking for the cast and also the viewers, as he was a fan-favorite. However, his sudden departure was not his decision but was made by the creators of the show and was a creative choice. Phelan told TV Insider that for the show to be authentic and to represent the lives of firefighters truthfully, they had to let go of some characters and decided to kill off a character that would leave a lasting impact on the other characters. He said:
"We felt like coming into Season 4, we have a show about wildland firefighters and we have the same cast that we had from the beginning. And to be truthful to the work that these people do, which is always our desire, we felt like it was time for the show and the characters to have a loss. And last season was about legacy."
In the previous season, Vince's relationship with his father was explored, which also affected his relationship with his own son, Bode. Therefore, his exit will move the story further to focus on the next generation of firefighters and how they take up the responsibilities of their lives and their profession.
Co-creator Joan Rater further shared that their decision to reveal Vince's death in the trailer of Season 4 of Fire Country was a conscious one, as they wanted to 'prepare the fans' for the story of grief ahead in Season 4.
More about Fire Country
In the same interview, Phelan was asked about how he informed Billy Burke that his character was being killed off in Fire Country. He shared that the conversation was not an easy one and stated:
"It was a very difficult conversation to have with Billy because we love the character and love him so much. But I think that if you’re an actor on one of these shows, that’s always a possibility."
When asked if we would see Burke again on the show, he said:
"There’s always, if the storytelling leads there… And I won’t say never. I’ll never say never. Right now, that’s not in the immediate plans, but could certainly happen."
As per the creator, we might see Burke portray Vince again in a flashback scene in the future, leaving the fans hopeful.
The show stars Max Thieriot, Kevin Alejandro, Diane Farr, Jordan Calloway, and Michael Trucco, among others.
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