A 911 dispatch audio revealed heartbreaking details from Bobby J. Brown’s tragic death in a barn fire.
The dispatcher noted in clips obtained by TMZ that Brown’s wife, Arlene, called after realizing “her husband was trapped in the barn [and] the barn is on fire.” Arlene, who hadn’t “made contact with” Brown, told authorities the actor was “trying to start up his own Cadillac” before the fire broke out.
Brown’s wife ultimately “hung up the phone” as officials struggled to “get in contact with her.” The first responders arrived at the family’s residence in Maryland to find a barn “mostly engulfed” in flames and a “subject trapped inside.”
Later in the audio, a firefighter confirmed the building was “fully engulfed,” with an official adding, “We do have exposure. I see his two vehicles.”
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Brown died at age 62 due to smoke inhalation, with his partner suffering severe burns.
Multiple outlets confirmed that Brown was in a barn attempting to jump-start a vehicle before he called a family member asking for a fire extinguisher. The barn ended up engulfed in flames, and his wife reportedly sustained burns while attempting to save him.
The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to TMZ that Brown’s cause of death was due to diffuse thermal injury and smoke inhalation. His death was ruled an accident.
Brown’s agent, Albert Bramante, issued a statement about his death, saying, “I am upset and saddened. 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’s daughter Reina, meanwhile, called her father’s death “a huge loss.” She told People on Thursday that she woke up to a phone call about the tragic accident.
“I was sound asleep. I had gone to bed about two hours before,” she said. “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?’”
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Reina called it a “difficult” time for the family.
“I literally went outside and put both my feet on my front walk,” she continued. “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.”
Reina credited her and Brown’s shared faith for helping her weather the loss.
“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,” she noted. “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.”
