Why Did Billy Burke Leave ‘Fire Country’? The Reason Behind Vince’s Shocking Death

The Fire Country Season 4 premiere tonight is set to be an emotional one, with the Cal Fire team mourning the tragic death of Vince Leone. The beloved Station 42 battalion chief died in a building collapse caused by the devastating Zabel Ridge fire in the Season 3 finale.

Fire Country’s Season 4 promo video, released on Sept. 24, 2026, revealed that Sharon (Diane Farr) and Walter (Jeff Fahey) survived, but Vince perished in the collapse. Bode (Max Thieriot) was restrained and locked inside the firetruck for his own safety, and now, he’ll have to face his most brutal battle yet.

“I’m gonna spend the rest of my career protecting my father’s town, my father’s stations, and my father’s mission,” Bode says in the eulogy at his father’s funeral. Later in the trailer, Max says he feels like he should be battalion chief, telling Jake — who also wants the role and is more qualified — that it’s his “birthright.”

The Season 4 premiere, which will air on Friday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. ET, is titled “Goodbye for Now,” and will pick up in the aftermath of the fatal Zabel Ridge fire. “Station 42 faces internal turmoil but must rally together for a high-stakes rescue that tests their strength, loyalty and the future of the firehouse,” the logline reads.

As you’re watching the premiere, you might be wondering why Burke was killed off CBS’s firefighter procedural, and whether he decided to leave for personal reasons. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about his shocking exit.

Why Did Billy Burke Leave Fire Country?

The decision to kill Vince appears to be a creative choice by the show’s writers, not one made by Burke. Co-creators Tony Phelan and Joan Rater told TV Insider in September they decided to kill off Vince to be “truthful to the work” that firefighters do — and they felt it was time for the show and characters to experience a loss.

“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,” Phelan explained.

Last season focused on legacy, Phelan said, with Vince grappling with his father’s legacy and using that to reflect on his relationship with Bode. The writers believed that losing Vince would shake up the show and characters in the best way possible. It would “force them to really reassess where they were and what they were doing was this kind of loss,” Phelan added.

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“And so at the same time, we want to be very respectful of the character of Vince, of how important he is to the show, and how important Billy was as a presence on the show. So, the loss of Vince is going to echo through the entire season, and we are going to see our younger firefighters really have to begin to grapple with growing up and what is the next step for them.”

Rater added that they chose to reveal Vince’s death in the promo trailer rather than saving it for the Season 4 premiere to prepare fans and dive into the impact of Vince’s death early on.

How Was Billy Burke Told His Character Was Being Killed Off Fire Country?

Co-creator Tony Phelan told TV Insider that they had a “very difficult conversation” with Burke when they informed him his character would be killed off.

“It was a very difficult conversation to have with Billy because we love the character and love him so much,” he said. “But I think that if you’re an actor on one of these shows, that’s always a possibility. 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.”

Aside from Fire Country, Burke is best known for portraying Charlie Swan, the father of Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan, in Twilight and its four sequels. He has also starred in series such as NBC’s Revolution, CBS’s Zoo, and 9-1-1: Lone Star, among others.

I reached out to Billy Burke’s representatives for comment.

Fire Country premieres Friday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+. After the premiere, new episodes will air Fridays at 9 p.m.

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