NEWSChilling 911 Call Reveals Final Moments Before 'The Wire' Star Bobby J. Brown’s Tragic Death in Barn Fire
Bobby J. Brown devastatingly died after getting trapped in his barn as it became engulfed in flames.
Feb. 27 2026, Published 5:06 p.m. ET
911 audio from Bobby J. Brown's horrific barn fire death reveals chilling details of The Wire star's terrifying final moments before he devastatingly died of smoke inhalation at age 62.
In audio obtained by TMZ, a dispatcher is heard noting that "the caller advised her husband was trapped in the barn and the barn is on fire," identifying the caller as Brown's wife, Arlene.
His wife told authorities she had not "made contact with" the 62-year-old and said he had been "trying to start up his own Cadillac" inside the building before the flames spread.
Bobby J. Brown Was 'Trapped' Inside of Burning Barn
911 audio revealed the terrifying moments leading up to Bobby J. Brown's death.
Arlene "hung up the phone" as law enforcement officials tried to "get in contact with her," according to the call.
While emergency crews responded to the scene, Bobby did not survive. Upon arrival, a firefighter reported a "50 foot by 100 foot barn, mostly engulfed, [with a] subject trapped inside." Dispatch audio later noted the structure was "fully engulfed."
At one point, an official at the scene confirmed, "We do have exposure. I see his two vehicles."
'The Wire' Actor Died From Smoke Inhalation
Bobby J. Brown's wife suffered severe burns while trying to save her husband from the blaze.
His cause of death was ruled as diffuse thermal injury and smoke inhalation, a spokesperson for the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed in a statement to People. The manner of is death was determined to be an accident.
Arlene suffered severe burns while trying to save her husband's life.
Bobby is survived by his wife and two adult children.
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Bobby J. Brown's Daughter Speaks Out After Dad's Sad Death
Bobby J. Brown had credits in 'Law & Order: SVU' and was best known for starring in 'The Wire.'
His daughter Reina spoke out in the days after her dad's death — which she called "a huge loss" — during an interview with People.
Reina said she received a call at around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday night that woke her up from a deep sleep, as a daughter's worst nightmare became her reality.
"I was sound asleep. I had gone to bed about two hours before," she recalled. "My little sister [was] freaking out, saying that Dad's gone and that he got caught up in a barn fire, and I'm like, 'What do you mean?'"
Bobby J. Brown called for a fire extinguisher before getting trapped in the blaze.
Reina continued: "I literally went outside and put both my feet on my front walk. It's cold, and I stood out in my bare feet in a nightgown because I wanted to make sure I was really awake. I did that to make sure I was in actual reality and not dreaming this up, and then I did it for a grounding exercise. I couldn't believe it. I was like, this isn't real. And I still don't even feel like it's real."
According to his daughter, Bobby desperately called for a family member to bring him a fire extinguisher as the blaze broke out.
"Everybody is still trying to process it. It's been difficult for all of us," she expressed. "I'm his oldest, and I'm also one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and I will say, it's my faith that's keeping me sane right now. My dad was an amazing human being. He was super awesome. He was a pillar in the community, and he's going to be missed by a lot of people."
