Burning Man has returned to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, and already, eventgoers faced several woes including hours-long traffic delays and brutal weather.
The event officially kicked-off on Sunday, August 24. Over the week, dust storms with gusts up to 50 mph marred the Nevadan desert, injuring at least four people, toppling campsites, and destroying art installations. One of Burning Man’s most notorious attractions, the famed Orgy Dome, was destroyed by high winds.
Thousands of cars attempted to enter the desert on Monday, leading to eight hours of traffic. The wet, muddy conditions slowed entry and on multiple occassions, conditions worsened to the point that the main gate was closed to new arrivals.
One man was airlifted to a local trauma center after he was electrocuted on Tuesday night, leading to organizers issuing a statement, urging attendees to keep electrical equipment dry and covered. As of Wednesday, Pershing County police told the Reno Gazette Journal that 27 arrests were made at Burning Man — mainly due to drug possession or sales.
Over the course of the event, organizers are expecting 65,000 to 70,000 people to enter Black Rock City. According to the National Weather Service, the desert will dry up for the final weekend ahead of “The Man Burns,” with predictions of mostly sunny conditions through Monday, September 1.
Burning Man has never been an event for the weak; previous editions saw temperatures in the desert spike up to over 100 degrees, and there are regularly abrasive dust storms. During the 2023 event, burners were trapped in the desert for up to three days, and attendees were forced to conserve water and gas to survive. Some even made the trek out of the desert on-foot, walking miles through the mud.
Find live weather and traffic condition updates here.
