Chilling details from Bobby Brown’s tragic death from a barn fire Wednesday have been revealed in 911 audio.
In clips obtained by TMZ, dispatch noted that “the caller [Brown’s wife, Arlene], advised her husband was trapped in the barn [and] the barn is on fire.”
Arlene, who hadn’t “made contact with” the “Wire” star since, told authorities the 62-year-old was “trying to start up his own Cadillac.”
She “hung up the phone” as officials struggled to “get in contact with her.”
When emergency responders arrived at the family’s Maryland residence, a firefighter described a “50 foot by 100 foot barn, mostly engulfed, [with a] subject trapped inside.”
Later in the audio, an update confirmed the building was “fully engulfed.”
An official added, “We do have exposure. I see his two vehicles.”
Brown died due to smoke inhalation, with his partner suffering severe burns as she attempted to save him.
In addition to Arlene, Brown is survived by two adult children.
His “upset and saddened” agent told TMZ, “He was such a good actor and person. He was totally dedicated to the craft of acting and was a joy to work with.”
Brown was best known for playing Officer Bobby Brown on “The Wire,” also making appearances in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
He pursued a boxing career before turning to the entertainment industry, and his final role was in “Mailman” in 2023.
Several of Brown’s fellow “Wire” alums’ passings have made headlines this year, with James Ransone, who played Ziggy Sobotka, most recently dying by suicide in December 2025.
Charley Scalies and Al Brown, who respectively portrayed Thomas “Horseface” Pakusa and Col. Stan Valchek, died in May 2025.
Lance Reddick, who played Cedric Daniels, passed in 2023, two years after Michael K. Williams, who was cast as Omar Little, suffered an overdose.
