Roads were reportedly reopened at the annual Burning Man event in Nevada, allowing tens of thousands of festival-goers to make their exit on Monday (September 4). More than 70,000 attendees at Burning Man, also known as Black Rock City, were trapped at the annual counter-cultural arts and music festival after rain poured down on the event grounds on Friday (September 1), resulting in all surrounding roads being closed off for safety by Sunday (September 3).
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The remote desert grounds, located 110 miles north of Reno, Nevada, were hit with a downpour of rain between Friday and Saturday morning. The heavy rainfall caused the dry grounds to turn into a thick clay-like mud that was ankle-deep, making it difficult to walk or bike in, in addition to causing some RVs to remain stuck in place.
Attendees at the cultural music and arts festival were advised to conserve food and water and shelter in place by organizers when all roads were deemed impassable on Sunday.
“There is no cause for panic,” said Marian Goodell, CEO of Burning Man Project, told NBC News on Sunday. “We’re very pleased and surprised that there has been such a fuss over us.”
Burning Man organizers, who reportedly turned down help from the Nevada National Guard, had planned for an orderly exit for attendees beginning Monday, which was the final day of the annual event. The 2023 Burning Man festival originally kicked off on Sunday (August 27).
“We’ve made it really clear that we do not see this as an evacuation situation,” added Goodell. “The water is drying up.”
By Saturday evening, the annual event seemed over as police and organizers were concerned with getting attendees out safely. “Most Festival operations have been halted or significantly delayed,” said the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office in a statement. The annual burning of a wooden man, which usually takes place on the last Saturday night, was still planned to take place on Sunday evening.
The Pershing Sheriff’s County Sheriff’s office is also investigating the death of one attendee, a 40-year-old man who died on Friday after attempts at resuscitation. His death was reportedly unrelated to the weather, according to organizers.
Photo by Julie JAMMOT / AFP) (Photo by JULIE JAMMOT/AFP via Getty Images
