The chaos of Burning Man isn’t over yet, with annoyed revellers lashing out at each other during the exodus from the festival site.
After a long weekend of unfortunate events and extreme weather – where a huge amount of rainfall turned the dry desert floor into a mud pit – tensions boiled over among some festivalgoers on Monday.
Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said that attendees “lashed out” at each other as the gates to the site finally opened but they were still left facing eight-hour waits to get out of the Nevada desert site.
The sheriff, who is presiding over the site, said that exhausted revellers were “angry” and “not showing compassion to their fellow man who have endured the same issues over the past few days”.
“As usually happens in what burners refer to as the ‘default world’ people allow their emotions to override their reasonableness and they are lashing out at each other as they leave the playa and attempt to make it to their next destination,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle.
“This behaviour definitely does not fall within the 10 principles of Burning Man, but that is not the fault of BMP either, but is a societal issue.”
Some vehicles tried to cut in front of each other, while others swerved in the mud to avoid crashing and ended up creating gridlocks.
The sheriff said that lots of vehicles and property had been abandoned altogether at the festival site, after desperate attendees left them behind to trudge out of Burning Man on foot.
“There are numerous vehicles strewn all throughout the playa for several miles,” the sheriff said.
“Some participants were unwilling to wait or use the beaten path to attempt to leave the desert and have had to abandon their vehicles and personal property wherever their vehicle came to rest.
Burning Man attendees leave site after washout festival concludes— (TMX)
“The playa is unforgiving when it is wet and will consume your vehicle until such time as it dries enough to be able to traverse.”
Burning Man is typically known for its community-spirited and artistic cultural events – and for its policy not to leave items behind in the desert.
But this year’s event was rocked by the extreme weather.
Over the weekend, a huge amount of rainfall meant all roads in Black Rock City – the temporary metropolis where the festival is held – were ridden with thick mud.
With conditions too dangerous for vehicles to drive in, entrance to the event was shuttered on Saturday and those inside were told to hunker down.
One man died on Friday at the site, although investigators say his death is not weather-related.
Hundreds of Burning Man attendees who planned to leave on buses wait for information— (via REUTERS)
Leon Reece, 32, was found unresponsive at around 6:24pm on Friday.
The sheriff said that due to the “unusual rain event,” the response time of emergency services was delayed in reaching him.
On Monday, the site finally opened allowing revellers inside to leave.
Those who embarked on the mass exodus on Monday missed the rescheduled ritualistic burning of the Man effigy that night.
