Stephanie Arcila isn’t the only one leaving Fire Country ahead of season 4 — so is Billy Burke.
The show’s season 3 finale, which aired on Friday, April 25, didn’t confirm any major deaths or departures. But shortly after the episode’s debut, news broke that Arcila, 35, was demoted — and that her costar Burke will not return as Vince.
Arcila, who has played Gabriela since Fire Country premiered, spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about the overwhelming response to her and Burke’s futures. “We watch these shows and we grow with them. We grow these attachments as well and we look forward to watching them. So it’s shocking,” she said.
The actress noted that shows such as Fire Country sometimes rely on the “shocking aspect” to keep stories fresh, adding, “I have received all those messages. People have so much love for Gabriela — and I didn’t realize it. We’re in such a bubble sometimes when we’re working nine months out of the year. So you don’t realize that.”
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She continued: “Then when we get back, we try to pour into ourselves because we pour so much into these characters. So to have this big reaction and this amount of mourning that the fans are having — it’s like a big hug. It warms my heart so much.”
Fire Country, which premiered in 2022, follows inmate Bode (Max Thieriot) as he attempts to shorten his prison sentence by volunteering for the California Conservation Camp Program. After being assigned to his hometown, he reconnected with his family and former friends while attempting to redeem himself.
Both Gabriela and Vince have been vital characters on the show, but Deadline reported that budget cuts are likely what led to Arcila’s exit. However, the door is open for her to potentially return as a guest star.
Even Arcila was in “complete shock” about her departure. “I had no idea ever. But at the same time, I know that this is the nature of the industry that I’m in, and I have accepted the flow of release and acceptance throughout my journey and knowing that when one door closes, another one always opens,” Arcila told Us. “We have this beautiful eternal door of revolving desires in what we love in life. I believe that if we put resistance towards that, sometimes it stops us from fulfilling other things that we love.”
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Arcila said she was excited to see where Gabriela’s story would go from here.
“The minute that they told me [Gabriela wouldn’t return as a main character], I accepted it. I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to put Gabriela in this beautiful little drawer of fulfilled dreams and let the universe take over,'” she shared. “I respect every department in our industry, and I know that we all know what we’re doing and have a way with storytelling. It’s a collaborative process. I have no idea [where Gabriela’s story] would go from here, but you never know [about coming back].”
As for Burke, fans suspect Vince doesn’t make it out alive after the season 3 finale explosion. The show’s executive producers, meanwhile, wouldn’t reveal who may or may not have died.
“We are not going to confirm who we’re losing,” showrunner Tia Napolitano told Deadline last month. “There will definitely be a devastating loss for everyone that remains in our family. No, shooting the finale, none of the actors knew.”
Fire Country is currently streaming on Paramount+.
