NEW YORK >> Hot news for “Burn Notice” fans: Jeffrey Donovan, who plays the CIA operative Michael Westen, says one of the main characters dies in the show’s sixth season premiering Thursday on the USA Network.

As for who is killed off — Donovan isn’t saying.

Last season ended with Donovan’s character devastated as he watched girlfriend Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) turn herself in to authorities. He and his team had been forced to commit crimes on increasingly dangerous missions because Fiona was being blackmailed by the man who had originally “burned” Michael out of the CIA.

Donovan says much of this new season focuses on Michael’s efforts to get Fiona out of jail.  

“I think season six will be the darkest year ever for Michael,” says the actor of his usually unflappable character. “You’ll actually see him break down for once. You’ll see the raw emotion come out of him because he doesn’t know how to deal with a 4-inch pane of glass between him and what he wants.”

The actor says Michael does win Fiona’s release by capturing a “very bad person” for the CIA, but in that capture one of the main characters is killed. “Eventually you’re going to see the whole team on the run because of what the team does to avenge this person’s death,” he says.

Along with his “Burn Notice” gig Donovan appeared in the recent Clint Eastwood-directed films “J. Edgar” and “Changeling.”