The Wire star Bobby J Brown dies aged 52 following barn fire

The Wire star Bobby J Brown has died at the age of 62.

The actor passed away on Tuesday (24 February) after being caught in a barn fire, his daughter told TMZ.

A spokesperson for the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to the publication that the death was determined an accident, with the cause listed as "diffuse thermal injury and smoke inhalation".

Brown's agent Albert Bramante shared a tribute to the late actor with TMZ, which read: "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."

In an interview with PEOPLE, Brown's daughter Reina called the death of her father a "huge loss" and recalled waking up to a phone call at 11.30pm on Tuesday.

"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?'"

She added: "Everybody is still trying to process it. It's been difficult for all of us... 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."

Brown had a successful early life as a professional boxer, winning five Golden Glove Championships, before switching to acting.

He bagged early roles in TV series such as Pecker and The Corner.

However it's for his role as Bobby Brown, a Baltimore officer, in David Simon’s acclaimed HBO drama The Wire that he became best known for.

Other TV credits include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as well as We Own This City, while Brown's film credits include Really Love, Virginia and Off Time.

Brown's last onscreen appearance was in a short called Mailman in 2023.

Beyond acting, the star directed two documentaries: Off the Chain and Tear the Roof Off: The Untold Story of Parliament Funkadelic.

The actor is survived by his wife and two daughters.