‘The Wire’ Actor Bobby J. Brown Dies in Maryland Barn Fire at 62

Bobby J. Brown, known for his recurring role on “The Wire,” died in a barn fire at his Maryland home.

The 62-year-old actor was trapped in a barn fire in southern Maryland on Tuesday night, according to TMZ, which first reported the news.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the fatal blaze, the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal said in a Feb. 25 news release.

According to officials, Brown had gone into the barn earlier in the evening to attempt to jump-start a vehicle stored inside. While working, he contacted a family member to request a fire extinguisher. By the time she reached the area, flames had already spread rapidly throughout the structure.

In her efforts to reach him, the woman suffered burns to her hands and was treated at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

Emergency crews were dispatched shortly after 10 p.m. on Feb. 24 to the 36111 block of Roosevelt Boulevard in St. Mary’s County after 911 callers reported a barn fire and indicated that someone was trapped inside. Firefighters from Leonardtown, Mechanicsville, and additional nearby departments responded.

When crews arrived, they saw a 50-by-100-foot barn that was nearly fully engulfed in flames, according to the fire marshal’s office. Family members at the scene confirmed that someone was still inside.

After the fire was brought under control, firefighters found a deceased male victim in the barn. He was pronounced dead at the scene and later transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for positive identification and to determine the official cause of death.

In an interview with People magazine, Brown’s daughter, Reina, described receiving the news in a late-night phone call.

“I was sound asleep,” she said, recalling that her younger sister was “freaking out, saying that Dad’s gone and that he got caught up in a barn fire.”

“I couldn’t believe it. I was like, this isn’t real. And I still don’t even feel like it’s real,” she said.

Brown portrayed Officer Bobby Brown on 12 episodes of “The Wire” during its five-season run from 2002 to 2008. The series, created by David Simon, centered on crime and policing in Baltimore. Brown also appeared in Simon’s earlier NBC drama “Homicide: Life on the Street.”

Over more than two decades, he appeared in television series including “Law & Order: SVU” and in films such as “City by the Sea,” and “Really Love.”

He also directed the documentaries “Off the Chain” and “Tear the Roof Off: The Untold Story of Parliament Funkadelic.”

Born in Washington, DC, Robert Joseph Brown was an accomplished amateur boxer, winning five Golden Gloves titles, according to IMDb. His final released project was a 2023 short film titled “Mailman.”