Fire Country Unveils First Look at Stephanie Arcila and Billy Burke’s Departures
The initial glimpse of season 4 of Fire Country hinted at the departures of Stephanie Arcila and Billy Burke, along with confirming an offscreen death.
CBS unveiled stills from the show, set to return on October 17. Among those back on set are Max Thieriot, Kevin Alejandro, Jordan Calloway, Arcila, and Jules Latimer reprising their roles. Bode (Thieriot) and Jake (Calloway) are joined by Eve (Latimer), Manny (Alejandro), and Gabriela (Arcila) on an urgent mission, although two characters are missing.
Burke’s character, Vince, is absent following the season 4 trailer revelation that he perished in a fire. His wife, Sharon (Diane Farr), is also not present, as earlier scenes depicted her mourning the unexpected tragedy.
The season 3 finale, aired in April, concluded with a cliffhanger that left the fates of Vince, Sharon, and Walter (Jeff Fahey) uncertain. Shortly after, news surfaced regarding budget cuts that led to the exits of Burke, 58, and Arcila. (Burke has yet to publicly comment on his departure.)
“When I learned that Gabriela wouldn’t return as a main character, I accepted it immediately. I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll place Gabriela in this lovely little compartment of fulfilled dreams and let the universe take the lead,’” Arcila, 35, shared with Us Weekly in April. “I hold immense respect for everyone in our industry, knowing that we all understand storytelling and it’s a collaborative effort. I’m uncertain about the direction of Gabriela’s story, but one can never know [about a return].”
Arcila admitted she was in “complete shock” regarding her exit. “I was totally unaware. Yet, I recognize this is the nature of our industry, and I have embraced the flow of release and acceptance on my journey, knowing that when one door shuts, another always opens,” she added. “We possess this beautiful eternal door of shifting desires in our lives. When we resist that, sometimes it hampers us from achieving other passions.”
Arcila, who portrayed Gabriela since Fire Country debuted, addressed the significant response to her and Burke’s departures.
“We immerse ourselves in these shows and form bonds, eagerly anticipating new episodes. It’s surprising,” she continued. “I’ve received countless messages. The love for Gabriela is profound — something I hadn’t realized. Sometimes we dwell in a bubble while working nine months a year, making it easy to overlook.”
She concluded, “Returning to the fans, we strive to nurture ourselves because we invest so much into these characters. Witnessing such a significant reaction and mourning from the fans feels like a big embrace. It warms my heart tremendously.”
Creators Tony Phelan and Joan Rater discussed the upcoming changes with Us prior to the season 4 launch. Phelan noted a “real desire” to “not only shake things up” but also “to remain true to” the challenges of writing a series about firefighters in action. Rater hinted at how this “huge loss” would resonate throughout season 4.
While Vince has been written off, Gabriela might return.
“For Gabriela, it was incredibly challenging during the season’s second half to be around and observe Bode. They simply haven’t managed to connect,” Phelan elaborated in September concerning Gabriela’s temporary departure from the show. “Allowing those two characters a pause — a break from that interaction — prepares them for when they perhaps reunite as different individuals.”
Rater echoed this sentiment, stating, “This is the season centered on our characters evolving. Maturing isn’t easy, and Bode and Gabriela realize they must grow, but cannot do it together at this moment.”
Fire Country premieres on CBS on Friday, October 17, at 8 p.m. ET, followed by streaming on Paramount+.
