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HURRICANE, Washington County — Hurricane police have identified the man who died in a trailer fire early New Year's Day.
A medical examiner identified the man as David Neilson, 31, who lived in the Hurricane area, Hurricane Police Sgt. Brandon Buell said.
Neilson was in a relationship with the woman who lived in the trailer, 43-year-old Stacy Barnard, who escaped the fire and was later booked into jail, Buell said. Barnard was charged Thursday in 5th District Court with aggravated arson, a first-degree felony.
Fire crews arrived about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday and found the trailer fully engulfed in flames. Barnard told them Neilson was still inside.
Investigators located burn marks from two ignition points, one at the front and a second at the back of the trailer, while arson dogs indicated an accelerant was present at both burn sites and on Barnard's hands, according to court documents.
Barnard told police she and Neilson had been drinking together before the fire started. Her cash-only bail was set at $100,000.
