Tens of thousands of attendees at the internationally renowned Burning Man festival have become trapped in their camps in the Nevada desert after a slow-moving rainstorm turned the festival terrain into a muddy swamp.
Roads in and out of the popular event were closed as of Saturday afternoon, and airline and bus services were suspended.
The organizers described the unusual weather conditions as “treacherous” and urged the ‘burners’ to shelter in place, warning that the “adverse weather conditions will continue.”
“The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed. Ingress and egress are halted until further notice. No driving is permitted except emergency vehicles. If you are in BRC, conserve food, water, and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space. More updates to come”, Burning Man Traffic tweeted on Saturday afternoon.
According to local media, more than 73,000 people attended the festival this year. However it remains unclear if they will be able to leave at the scheduled end of the event, known as Exodus, on Monday, and if not, whether they have sufficient supplies.
Some attendees are reportedly concerned about keeping food at safe temperatures, as some generators are unable to run due to the weather. Ice is reportedly being rationed.
Concerns were also raised regarding the servicing of the portable toilets. Burning Man Radio hosts have urged people to not "use the playa as a bathroom.”
Wi-Fi and cellphone service are virtually nonexistent in the remote area, and few people have access to satellite internet for updates.
The Black Rock City event known as Burning Man runs from August 27 to September 4 on a dry lake bed in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, around 80 miles northeast of Reno.
The event is dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance, culminating in the torching of a 40-foot effigy. The practice originated with the burning of an 8-foot wooden man in 1986 on San Francisco’s Baker Beach, which evolved into the annual event in the Black Rock Desert.
Due to the unfavorable weather conditions, all Saturday burns, including that of the Man effigy, were “postponed indefinitely.”