Billy Burke’s Fire Country Role Feels Like Redemption for This Forgotten John Travolta Disaster Flick

Billy Burke has starred in the drama Fire Country since 2022, a firefighter show that feels like a natural progression of his smaller role in an old John Travolta movie. Fire Country stars Max Thieriot as Bode Donovan, a young convict who takes part in a release program where he becomes a firefighter and gets called onto an assignment in his hometown. His father, Vince Leone (Billy Burke), is important to the story because he’s the Battalion Chief, a role in which Billy Burke has brought his expertise through his previous similar roles.

There are differences between Billy Burke’s role in Fire Country‘s cast of characters, and his other firefighter roles (yes, there are multiple). But his Fire Country role is so interesting because of his character Vince Leone and his dynamic with his son, which was complicated by his time in prison. It’s not quite a hero’s story, but rather a story of redemption, although Billy Burke had a funnier firefighter role before Fire Country, which went under the radar for 20 years.

Before starring in Fire Country, Billy Burke played Dennis Gauquin in 2004’s Ladder 49. The movie is about firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix), who, under the leadership of Captain Mike (John Travolta), learns to be a firefighter, gets trapped in a burning building, and his team attempts to rescue him. Billy Burke’s Dennis in Ladder 49 is a supportive character whose purpose is comic relief and is the opposite of his Fire Country character, a serious senior firefighter focused on his career and complex family issues.

In Ladder 49, Dennis Gauquin had less character depth than Vince Leone. Dennis Gauquin’s purpose was to show the camaraderie between firefighters while facing danger, and Vince Leone’s role is to manage the firefighting operations in his town and to provide conflict with his son by blaming him for the death of his daughter. Billy Burke also had another overlooked firefighter role where he played Billy Tyson in three seasons of another television show, Fox’s rival firefighter show, Lone Star 9-1-1, a few years prior.

Billy Burke Also Appeared On Fox’s Rival Firefighter Show Before Fire Country

Burke Played Billy Tyson In Lone Star 9-1-1: Lone Star In A Few Episodes.

In 9-1-1: Lone Star, Billy Burke’s character Billy Tyson was a threat to Station 126, where he was previously the captain. Billy becomes frenemies with the newer captain, Owen Strand (Rob Lowe), who works as a fire chief. Although a minor character in 9-1-1: Lone Star, Billy Burke’s portrayal of Billy Tyson led to an engaging story about the takeover of Station 126 and the navigation of complex relationships, which made him stand out among other minor characters on the show.

What was fascinating about Billy Tyson is that he was neither a good nor a bad guy, but was someone that people loved and hated. Billy Burke’s character in 9-1-1: Lone Star, Billy Tyson, shared the same job title as Vince Leone in Fire Country, but the two characters differ significantly in personality, although Burke told TV Line that Billy Tyson was “fun to play.” With three different firefighter roles that he has played, Billy Burke has demonstrated his versatility and explored the complex dynamics of emergency services.