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Key Points
- Burning Man festival attendees are stranded in the remote Nevada desert after the site was flooded by heavy rain.
- Festival organisers have closed off access due to safety concerns and advised attendees to shelter in place.
- United States media has reported up to 70,000 people are stranded in the temporary city.
Burning Man festival is synonymous with art, music, and eclectic outfits, but this year’s event looks markedly different than usual.
Attendees at the remote desert festival in Nevada have reportedly been asked shelter in place and conserve food and water after heavy rain turned the site into mud.
United States media has estimated up to 70,000 people are stranded.
Here’s what we know.
What is Burning Man?
Burning Man originated as a small function in 1986 on a San Francisco beach, but more than 60,000 participants now travel to and from the remote area in northwest Nevada every year.
Attendees gather in Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis dedicated to “community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance”, according to its website.
The festival gets its name from its culminating event, the burning of a large wooden structure called the Man on the penultimate night.
It was scheduled to run until 4 September.
Why are attendees being asked to leave?
Festivalgoers were reportedly asked to shelter in place after a rainstorm turned the site into mud.
Photos and videos on social media show attendees trudging through thick mud and dirty water, with some facilities out of use and many events cancelled.
Access to and from Black Rock City, the event’s site, was closed “for the remainder of the event”, organisers said in a statement on social media.
“Rain over the last 24 hours has created a situation that required a full stop of vehicle movement on the playa,” the US Bureau of Land Management said in a statement.
“More rain is expected over the next few days and conditions are not expected to improve enough to allow vehicles to enter the playa.”
On 2 September at 7pm local time (12pm 3 September AEST), organisers assured visitors they were “well prepared” for a weather event like this.
According to the website, all Burns are postponed and they is not yet an estimated time for roads to be dry enough for vehicles to navigate safely.
Some attendees are leaving the site on foot and trekking to the nearest highway.
Producer and DJ Diplo posted a video online as he left the festival.
“Just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up,” he
Thick, pasty mud surrounded Paul Reder’s RV on Saturday afternoon, as scattered patches of blue tried to break through the gray cloud cover above him.
“Fortunately we’re in a fairly big camp with a lot of supplies,” Reder told Reuters during a video call. “As a community, everybody’s sharing with each other.”
Reder, who has been attending the event for 22 years, said he expected it would take at least two days for the area to dry out.
– Additional reporting by Reuters
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