Fire Country’s Diane Farr Reacts to Backlash After Billy Burke’s Surprising Exit

Warning: This story contains spoilers for the season four premiere of Fire Country. 

Diane Farr is calming the flames surrounding Fire Country’s shocking reveal.

Shortly after the show’s season four premiere confirmed that beloved firefighter Vince Leone (played by Billy Burke) didn’t survive the building collapse in season three, his onscreen wife addressed fans’ reaction to her costar’s exit from the show. 

“I know some of y’all are angry,” Diane wrote on her Oct. 19 Instagram post, honoring her ’s role. “I see those notes also. And I FEEL you. But let me ask an honest question. If we only show the risk in this vocation, week after week, without at least attempting to portray the profound loss that comes to both a firehouse and a family when a key player, when one of their own, falls…wouldn’t we be skipping the deepest part of portraying firefighters?”

Indeed, the 56-year-old—who stars as Sharon Leone in the CBS series—and viewers were stunned when the Cal Fire chief didn’t return to the station in the Oct. 17 episode. Vince’s death was first teased in Fire Country’s season three finale in April, when he and Sharon got trapped in a massive house fire.