Updated on Tuesday, September 5, 2023 at 2:12 p.m.
The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the person who died while attending the Burning Man event near Gerlach on September 1.
Leon Reece, 32, of Truckee, California, was pronounced dead on scene.
The cause of death is pending investigation, but drug intoxication is suspected, according to the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office.
Updated 12:25pm, Sept. 3, 2023
Organizers of the annual Burning Man event are urging stranded attendees to “sit tight” on the muddy playa, as more rain is in the forecast for the rest of the day and into Sunday evening.
A public service announcement on Burning Man’s official radio station, BMIR 94.5FM, explained roads remained too wet and muddy for most vehicles.
“Please DO NOT drive at this time,” an announcer who called themself “Red Scare” said.
Event organizers also explained they didn’t have a time estimate for when weather conditions would improve enough to allow for mass exodus of about 73,000 Burners from the site located on the remote Black Rock Desert about two hours northeast of Reno.
Meanwhile, local law enforcement are investigating a death which occurred after heavy rains began. According to a press release from the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, the family has been notified. The office didn’t provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
The Burning Man Project, which organizes the annual event, announced Saturday night that they would be setting up “mobile cell trailers” in strategic locations and “opening up the internet for 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock plazas” — a reference to specific locations in Black Rock City.
“We are also deploying buses to Gerlach to take people to Reno who might walk off the playa,” organizers wrote. “This is not likely a 24-hour operation at this time.”
They also announced they would burn “The Man,” the wooden figure traditionally set on fire to mark the climax of each year’s festivities. If the weather permits, they promised to light the effigy at 9:30pm on Sunday.
Original story
Weekend rain put a stop to business as usual at Burning Man, when the unseasonal precipitation turned the normally dusty playa into thick mud. As a result, driving was banned within the event site, colloquially known as “Black Rock City.”
The gate and airport for the area were also closed, according to a Saturday announcement by the Burning Man Project, which organizes the annual event.
“DO NOT DRIVE TO [BLACK ROCK CITY],” it said. “YOU WILL BE TURNED AWAY.”
The public announcement also encouraged attendees to “conserve food, water, and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space.”
The event’s video livestream, when viewed Saturday afternoon, showed people walking across the desert floor in small groups, as clouds gathered over the mountains behind them. The event’s weather forecast predicted up to .25 inches of rain beginning early Sunday morning.
But hosts of BMIR 94.5FM, a broadcast billing itself as “The Voice of Black Rock City,” remained optimistic.
“We can tolerate a lot before we hit our failure modes,” they said.
The wet weather came on the heels of hazy skies late last week, when smoke from wildfires in Northern California and Oregon blew into the region.
