Edgewater’s bravest just got hit with a double whammy. CBS’s Fire Country wrapped its third season on April 25, 2025, with a two-hour finale that left fans reeling from a gut-punch cliffhanger and the confirmed exit of two original cast members. The show, a gritty drama about firefighters and ex-cons battling blazes and personal demons in Northern California, has never shied away from shaking things up. But this? This is next-level.
The finale, split into episodes titled “A Change in the Wild” and “I’d Do It Again,” threw Station 42 into chaos. A massive wildfire, fueled by ferocious winds, tore through Edgewater, threatening the Three Rock camp and a memory care facility housing Vince Leone’s father, Walter. Three characters’ lives hung in the balance at the Buena Vista facility, though the showrunners kept mum on who might not make it. Max Thieriot, who stars as Bode Leone and directed the first hour, had teased a “game-changer” twist back in early April, and he wasn’t kidding. The episodes delivered heart-stopping action—think gas station explosions and desperate rescues—while tying up season-long threads like the chemical company Oxalta’s shady dealings.
But the real shock came off-screen. Stephanie Arcila, who’s played firefighter and EMT Gabriela Perez since the show’s 2022 debut, is done as a series regular. So is Billy Burke, the grizzled Cal Fire chief Vince Leone, Bode’s dad. Both are original cast members, and their departures mark a seismic shift for the drama. Arcila’s exit was confirmed outright by the show’s executive producers in interviews after the finale aired. Burke’s departure, though, they played coy about, leaving some wiggle room but strongly hinting he’s out. Producers are dangling hope that Gabriela might pop back as a guest star, but fans aren’t holding their breath—especially after similar promises fizzled on other shows like Chicago Fire.
The decision to write out Gabriela and Vince wasn’t tied to the cliffhanger’s body count, according to the show’s brass. Joan Rater, Tony Phelan, and Tia Napolitano, the executive producers, insisted the exits were about keeping the storytelling bold and unpredictable. They’re not wrong—Fire Country thrives on high stakes and emotional curveballs. Still, losing Gabriela, a fan-favorite tied to Bode’s rocky love story, and Vince, the Leone family’s anchor, is a gamble. The finale already had Eve and her crew fail to save Three Rock from the flames, while Sharon Leone and Renée Hoffman scored a win against Oxalta. Adding cast shakeups to that mix? It’s a lot.
Filming for season three wrapped in late February, and the show’s already renewed for a fourth. The producers are promising to resolve the cliffhanger early next season, not stringing viewers along. They’re also hinting at new faces to fill the void, though no names have dropped yet. For now, fans are left to process the finale’s blaze of drama and the loss of two heavyweights. Edgewater’s fires keep burning, but Station 42’s roster just took a serious hit.
Arcila’s final episode as a regular aired April 25, 2025. Burke’s exit remains unconfirmed by CBS but widely reported. The show returns in fall 2025.