A Farmington man has been charged with negligent arson after investigators alleged a mattress fire spread to a residence and injured a woman, according to court records, including a statement of probable cause filed in San Juan County Magistrate Court.

Barrett Berg, 18, of Farmington, is charged with one count of negligent arson resulting in death or bodily injury, a fourth-degree felony. No All charges are allegations based on court records, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

According to the probable cause statement, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and San Juan County Fire Department responded at approximately 12:38 p.m. Aug. 20 to a residence on Road 5803 after a woman reported that a mattress was on fire and that her daughter had injured her foot while trying to extinguish the flames.

The responding deputy reported finding fire burning beneath the skirting on the east side of a single-wide trailer. According to the affidavit, firefighters extinguished the fire, but investigators reported the residence sustained extensive damage to its insulation and siding on the east side.

The affidavit states Berg told the deputy that he and other family members had returned to the residence approximately an hour before the fire. According to the deputy’s account, Berg said he was inside the residence with the injured woman when she noticed smoke coming from outside.

According to the affidavit, Berg told investigators that he and others attempted to extinguish the fire while waiting for firefighters by moving the mattress and pouring water on the flames.

The injured woman told investigators she had returned to the residence from Sam’s Club about 15 minutes before the fire, according to the affidavit. Investigators reported that she said Berg had been inside the residence when she arrived and later came outside before the fire was noticed.

According to the probable cause statement, the woman reported going outside after she smelled smoke and seeing the mattress burning. The affidavit states she attempted to stomp out the fire and suffered what investigators described as a serious burn to her right foot. Paramedics were preparing to transport her to a hospital, according to the deputy. The criminal complaint separately alleges the fire resulted in severe injuries to her right foot.

The affidavit states investigators learned the mattress had been burning against the residence and was later moved away from the structure in an effort to extinguish the fire. A woman at the residence told investigators there was broken glass in the area where the mattress had been located and suggested the glass might have had a magnifying effect that started the fire, according to the affidavit.

San Juan County Fire Investigator K. Mohler told the deputy that he believed the fire started on the mattress, according to the probable cause statement. According to the affidavit, Mohler said the mattress would have been easy to ignite under the conditions but reported that an “accelerant,” such as a lighter or cigarette ashes, would have been needed to start the fire.

According to the affidavit, Mohler also reported that broken glass found in the area was green-tinted and would not have been able to start the fire.

The probable cause statement does not describe anyone witnessing Berg ignite the mattress. The deputy reported that security cameras were present in the area but were not pointed in useful directions, according to the affidavit.

According to the probable cause statement, Berg denied intentionally setting the mattress on fire and also denied intentionally or unintentionally flicking ashes onto it. Berg told the deputy he had a lighter in his pocket, according to the affidavit.

The deputy reported finding a BIC cigarette lighter in Berg’s right front pocket during a search incident to arrest.

Charges Filed

• Negligent arson resulting in death or bodily injury — fourth-degree felony.

The criminal complaint alleges Berg negligently caused a house fire that resulted in severe injuries to a woman’s right foot. The complaint was filed Aug. 21 in San Juan County Magistrate Court in Aztec.

Case Status

Court records show Berg was arrested Aug. 20, and a felony first appearance was filed in San Juan County Magistrate Court in case M-147-FR-2026-00388. The first-appearance record lists Russell L. Bradford as the assigned judge.

The first-appearance form reviewed by San Juan Pulse does not clearly indicate Berg’s custody status, bond conditions or whether he had retained or been appointed legal counsel. Those portions of the form were not completed in the record provided.

Source

According to a criminal complaint, statement of probable cause and felony first-appearance record filed in San Juan County Magistrate Court in Aztec, case M-147-FR-2026-00388.

Legal Disclaimer

All charges are allegations based on court records, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. The allegations described in this report come from charging documents and have not been established as fact at trial.