Our favorite firefighter shows have really raised the stakes with more onscreen deaths — and shocking exits — than ever before.
9-1-1 surprised fans when Peter Krause‘s character, Bobby, was killed in April after eight seasons. It was even more shocking when creator Tim Minear revealed the decision wasn’t because Krause asked to leave.
“I still think people grip their seats and are excited when Athena lands a plane on the freeway or a ship capsizes — but after eight years, it just felt like, if we have any hope of creating stories going forward that have actual stakes, then someone’s got to die,” Minear told Variety about why it “made sense” for that to be Bobby. “If you track the tragic arc of his character, of where he started, and how he came to L.A. looking for atonement, it just makes a kind of tragic sense for his character in a way it wouldn’t for another character.”
Minear concluded: “But also, I just didn’t want to go small. Not that any of the characters are small, but Bobby’s death affects every single character’s story in a way that really no other character death would.”
Us Explains Why Firefighter Shows Are Killing Off, Losing So Many Characters
Later that same month, Fire Country concluded its third season on a cliffhanger. The fourth season subsequently became a topic of conversation when news broke that Stephanie Arcila was demoted. Her costar Billy Burke is also reportedly stepping away from the show.
Fire Country allegedly asked the season 3 cast to cut down their episode counts as a cost-saving measure. Deadline reported that the main series regulars came together and were able to prevent their episodes from being reduced, but there were changes made for season 4.
“It really just comes down to what’s the best creatively. There’s a lot of stuff going on that we as producers juggle, but honestly, we are writers first and foremost and storytellers,” executive producer Joan Rater told the outlet in response to a question about budget cuts affecting the season 4 cast. “And we struggle with these stories, we wrestle them to the ground, we consider them from six different angles. We don’t do anything lightly, we talk, we talk, we talk. And then we just have to go with our gut about what makes the most compelling story, and we are really trying to write authentic stories that examine what these heroes deal with and go through. So that’s where we’re coming from at all times.”
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of every fictional TV firefighter who has been killed — or written off — in 2025 so far:
Bobby Nash
The ABC drama killed off Krause’s character in April during the two-part “Contagion” event where Bobby was secretly infected with a rare and fatal virus. Minear told Variety, however, that it was not the actor’s final appearance on the show.
Gabriela Perez
Arcila found out while filming the season 3 finale that she was getting demoted.
“I had no idea ever. It was a complete shock,” she exclusively told Us Weekly about how she discovered her exit. “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.’”
Gabriela didn’t officially leave on screen, so it remains to be seen how that will be explained. “I have no idea [where Gabriela’s story] would go from here, but you never know [about a possible return],” Arcila added.
Most Heartbreaking TV Deaths of 2025 So Far: ‘9-1-1’ and More
Vince Leone
While Fire Country showrunner Tia Napolitano hinted at future guest spots for Arcila, Deadline reported that Burke is stepping down as well. His character was one of the three potentially killed in an explosion, so Burke’s exit leads fans to assume that Vince will die ahead of the season 4 premiere.
“We are not going to confirm who we’re losing,” Napolitano told Deadline in April. “There will definitely be a devastating loss for everyone that remains in our family. No, shooting the finale, none of the actors knew.”
Sam Carver
Lockett didn’t reveal how his character will exit Chicago Fire this season, but he confirmed reports of his departure.
“While I don’t exactly know what the future looks like, I do know that it won’t be exactly what it was and I am going to miss the hell out of that,” he wrote via Instagram in April ahead of season 14. “So much pride in this journey.”
Lockett continued: “It’s been an honor bringing Sam to life and to every one of you, thank you for the love and support over the past three years.”
Darren Ritter
According to Deadline, Daniel Kyri, who plays Ritter, is the second actor reportedly leaving Chicago Fire after season 13. The outlet reported in April that the departures might be the result of alleged budget cuts — and there could be more casting shakeups.
