Current:Home > ScamsOpening day of Burning Man marred by woman's death, harsh weather conditions -Core Financial Strategies
Opening day of Burning Man marred by woman's death, harsh weather conditions
View
Date:2025-04-12 21:30:09
The opening day of 2024's week-long Burning Man festival was marred by tragedy and complications after one attendee died and gates opened 12 hours late due to weather conditions this weekend.
The Burning Man Project confirmed the death in a statement released Sunday, saying its emergency services personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive person at 11:29 a.m. that day. While "life-saving measures were immediately attempted" when responders arrived on scene, their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, said the statement.
Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen told the Reno Gazette Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, that deputies responded and were notified of the death at 11:37 a.m. They later identified the woman as 39-year-old Kendra Frazer.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the decedent," the sheriff's office told the Gazette Journal. "This is the first reported death on the playa this year and unfortunately it has happened on day one."
The death will remain under investigation until a cause and manner can be determined, which will be updated after an autopsy and toxicology screening.
"Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this loss," a statement from Burning said. "The safety and well-being of our staff and community are paramount. We are cooperating fully with local authorities as they investigate this incident.... Out of respect for the privacy of the grieving family, we will not be providing further details at this time."
What is Burning Man:What to know about its origin, name and what people do in Nevada
Burning Man gates open 12 hours late due to rain, muddy conditions
The festival also saw weather delays on day one.
As reported by the Gazette Journal, the 20,000 attendees waiting for gates to open Sunday ended up waiting 12 hours past the originally planned time due to rain and muddy conditions. Located in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, the location of Burning Man makes it prone to high temperatures and complications due to unideal weather.
In 2023, the festival faced significant challenges when heavy rainfall washed away temporary roads throughout the grounds, forcing authorities to shut down routes in and out of Black Rock City. Many attendees became stranded after they were told to either shelter in place or attempt an escape on foot through the thick mud.
The situation was made worse by the failure of on-site toilets and a lack of power and supplies, prompting some attendees to begin rationing their remaining food and water.
When is Burning Man?
This year, the event runs from Aug. 25 through Sept. 2 and is expected to host more than 70,000 people. These numbers are down from 2022's 75,069 and the pre-pandemic 2019 numbers of 78,850. In fact, 2024 is the first year since 2011 that tickets to Burning Man went unsold.
What is Burning Man?
Burning Man started in 1986 when founders Larry Harvey and Jerry James burned a human-shaped sculpture at Baker Beach in San Francisco.
During the 1990s, Burning Man grew in popularity and was moved to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada.
The yearly festival sees tens of thousands of people known as “Burners” travel to Nevada to create a kind of utopia. They build villages, a medical center, an airport and performance stages.
Burning Man is all about self-expression and the rejection of corporatism and capitalism. Instead of using money, attendees borrow, barter and trade for what they need.
People create a fleeting, self-sustaining community that (theoretically) leaves no trace or trash upon its completion. However, the encampment is not without its problems, including drug use, arrests and sexual assaults.
Contributing: Siobhan McAndrew and Brett McGinness, Reno Gazette Journal
veryGood! (95542)
Related
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt trade 'Barbenheimer' barbs in playful Oscars roast
- Why All Eyes Were on Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan at 2024 Oscars Vanity Fair After Party
- NFL free agency QB rankings 2024: The best available from Kirk Cousins to Joe Flacco
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Florida rivals ask courts to stop online sports gambling off tribal lands
- TikTok is a national security issue, Sens. Mark Warner and Marco Rubio say
- What stores are open Easter 2024? See details for Target, Walmart, Home Depot, TJ Maxx
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Oppenheimer Wins Best Picture at Oscars 2024
Ranking
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- USWNT defeats Brazil to win inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup
- At 83, filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki earns historic Oscar for ‘The Boy and the Heron’
- When does daylight saving time end? When we 'fall back', gain extra hour of sleep in 2024
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Biggest moments from the 2024 Oscars, from Emma Stone's surprise win to naked John Cena
- Most teens report feeling happy or peaceful when they go without smartphones, Pew survey finds
- NFL draft order 2024: Where every team will make picks over seven rounds, 257 picks
Recommendation
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
Jamie Lee Curtis was In-N-Out of the Oscars, left early for a burger after presenting award
Kylie Jenner Stuns in New Sam Edelman Campaign: An Exclusive Behind the Scenes Look
Jessica Alba and Cash Warren's 2024 Oscars Party Date Night Is Sweeter Than Honey
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
Mac Jones trade details: Patriots, Jaguars strike deal for quarterback
Fight between Disney and DeSantis appointees over district control gets a July court hearing
This Is the single worst reason to claim Social Security early