Fire Country: We Already Know Who Died In The Season 3 Finale (And It's A Huge Mistake)

This article contains spoilers for "Fire Country" Season 3, Episode 19 ("A Change in the Wind"), and Season 3, Episode 20 ("I'd Do It Again"). We're also covering potential Season 4 spoilers.

It wouldn't be a "Fire Country" season finale if it didn't end on a major cliffhanger — and leave audiences a little irritated. Season 3's last moments are no exception to that rule. They feature Vince Leone (Billy Burke), his wife Sharon (Diane Farr), and Vince's father Walter (Jeff Fahey) trying to battle their way out of Walter's memory care facility as it goes up in flames due to the Zabel Ridge wildfire. All three are still trapped inside when the roof collapses, leaving Bode Leone (Max Thieriot) to look on in horror as three of the people who mean the most to him in the world face death. For those who can't stand the suspense of waiting for Season 4, it seems that the fire's sole victim has already been revealed: "Fire Country" fans will have to say goodbye to Vince, per Deadline sources.

If Vince is the one who dies in the Season 4 premiere, it would be an awful choice from the show's writing team. He is the lynchpin of his family and the fire station, and Vince and Sharon are the best "Fire Country" couple by far. If they kill him off, both Bode and Jake (Jordan Calloway) lose sounding boards, as well. It may be a way for the writers to establish that anything can happen, and that will certainly keep viewers on their toes, but it doesn't bode well for the series' long-term health. For fans who are outraged by this plot twist, one silver lining remains — the show's executive producers have refused to reveal if Vince is indeed the character who will meet his maker in Season 4, so nothing is confirmed just yet.

When Deadline sat down for an exclusive interview with the creators and producers of "Fire Country" in April 2025, the outlet asked them about Billy Burke's reported departure. Understandably, they remained tight-lipped over the outcome of their Season 3 cliffhanger, but executive producer and showrunner Tia Napolitano did admit that the fire would have heartbreaking consequences. "We are not going to confirm who we're losing. There will definitely be a devastating loss for everyone that remains in our family," she said, before adding, "The Edgewater community and Station 42 are about to be rocked."

Deadline also asked about reports that "Fire Country" had been tasked with saving money and put it to the show's creators that this death was a cost-cutting measure, though this was denied by co-creator and executive producer Joan Rater, who said: "No, it's really coming out of us wanting to be exciting storytellers." Later in the interview, Napolitano revealed that they always knew someone wasn't going to make it out of the fire. However, they didn't decide on who it would be until much later. "We had talked about a number of different scenarios in the writers room early on, but the goal was always to end the season in a big way," she said. "We also wanted to maintain the authenticity that first responders have dangerous jobs with life-or-death stakes."

The big question is: Will fans find this twist to be shocking in a good way or simply distasteful? They will have to wait until Season 4 to judge for themselves — and to find out if there's life after the Zabel Ridge fire for the Leones.