Autopsy Finds 71% Carbon Monoxide in Bobby J. Brown After Fatal Barn Fire

Q: His wife heroically ran into the flames to save him. What is the untold story of her survival and recovery?

There is no verified public account yet of Arlene Brown’s full survival and recovery story beyond the fact that she ran into the burning barn to try to save Bobby J. Brown and suffered severe burns. What is established is that the fire broke out on Feb. 24 in Chaptico, Maryland, as Bobby J. Brown was reportedly trying to jump-start a Cadillac inside the barn. He called for a fire extinguisher, but the blaze spread rapidly and engulfed the structure. Arlene Brown went into the flames in an attempt to rescue him before emergency crews arrived, and she was badly injured. The medical examiner later ruled Bobby J. Brown’s death accidental, caused by diffuse thermal injury and smoke inhalation. Additional reporting said he had extremely high carbon monoxide levels and catastrophic burn injuries, underscoring how quickly the fire became unsurvivable. As for Arlene Brown, the available reporting does not document the extent of her burns, where she was treated, how long she was hospitalized, or how her rehabilitation progressed. So the “untold story” remains largely untold in the public record. What can be said, based on fire-safety experts and barn-fire data, is that her survival likely depended on rapid emergency response, specialized burn care, and the fact that she was able to get out after entering a structure that would have become lethal within minutes. Until family members or medical providers speak publicly, any fuller account of her recovery would be speculation.

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 25

A Maryland autopsy found Bobby J. Brown had 71% carbon monoxide saturation in his blood and had been drinking before the February barn fire that killed him.
The medical examiner also documented fourth-degree burns, thermal fractures of the ankles and smoke inhalation, while toxicology tests for drugs came back negative.
Brown's death had already been ruled accidental, caused by diffuse thermal injury and smoke inhalation after the fire in Chaptico, Maryland.
TMZ previously reported Brown entered the barn to jumpstart a vehicle, and family members said his wife suffered severe burns trying to save him.
Brown, 62, was best known for playing Officer Bobby Brown on HBO's "The Wire" after an earlier career as a professional boxer.