Burning Man attendee electrocuted, airlifted from site amid ongoing storms
A Burning Man attendee has been treated in hospital following an apparent electrocution on site at the event.
According to San Francisco Chronicle, the man was airlifted to a trauma centre from the festival site on the night of Tuesday 26th August. No further updates about his condition have been shared at the time of writing.
News of the incident broke after heavy rain soaked Burning Man’s Nevada Desert venue, “the Playa” — also known as Black Rock City — for several hours on the same day.
Roads were left impassable and the ground deemed too wet to drive on, leading organisers to close the entrance gates. Attendees already on-site were asked to take shelter, and advice was given about electrical generators and powered gear in heavy rain, with recommendations to elevate all plugs and connections, and seal any exposed leads with suitable tape.
The gateway to Burning Man remained closed through yesterday morning, Wednesday 27th August, but opened later as conditions eased. Further restrictions were then briefly introduced due to unpredictable conditions, although these have now been removed.
It’s the second time this week that Burning Man has been affected by extreme weather, with a severe dust storm hitting the event on Saturday 23rd August, a day ahead of the official opening. Winds of up to 50 mph caused chaos across the site, leading to some minor injuries and significant damage to infrastructure.
This included Black Cloud, an inflatable sculpture made by a Ukrainian team which forms part of Burning Man’s extensive installation programme. The Orgy Dome, one of the festival’s most notorious regular fixtures, was almost completely destroyed by the gusts, too.
“Our build team worked so hard this past week to erect our lovely space,” read an Instagram post by the group responsible for the sex positive space, shared on Monday 25th August. “Unfortunately, the winds yesterday undid all that labor and wrecked our structure. We are still here and thankfully safe, we hope to gift the playa some workshops and will keep you updated.”
