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Burning Man: Thousands begin to leave festival grounds

September 5, 2023

Hundreds of vehicles streamed out of the exit gates of Burning Man after authorities deemed the situation safe for people to leave. Heavy rainfall forced organizers to bring the party to a halt over the weekend.

https://p.dw.com/p/4VxL8
Vehicles stream out of the Burning Man festival grounds on Monday noon, after heavy rains trapped thousands of people at the site over the weekend
Vehicles stream out of the festival grounds on Monday noonImage: Matt Mills McKnight/REUTERS

Revelers stranded at the Burning Man festival finally started to make their way home on Monday.

Torrential rains had brought the event to a halt, leaving tens of thousands of people stuck.

Hundreds of vehicles stream out of the festival, seen here from a bird's-eye view
Authorities opened the exit gates after conditions improved Monday Image: Matt Mills McKnight/REUTERS

How are people getting out of Burning Man?

Hundreds of trucks and vehicles rode out of the counterculture festival after organizers said it was safe for people to leave.

It was raining harder on Sunday afternoon than the previous two days, which is why there were questions about when people could leave.

The way out is a 5-mile (8-kilometer) dirt road to the nearest highway. The annual festival takes place at a remote desert in the southwestern US state of Nevada.

The temporary airport for partygoers was reopened on Monday, according to an account associated with the festival.

All outgoing flights headed to Reno, a city about 100 miles from the festival grounds.

What happened at Burning Man?

About 70,000 attendees at the festival were stuck after heavy downpours turned the remote desert into a muddy mess.

Roads in and out of the festival, which appeared all but over by Saturday, were closed. Authorities asked people to conserve food and water.

A person also died at the festival, with police investigating the case. The reason for the person's death has not yet been disclosed.

Even though summer in the area is typically dry, a rare rainstorm Friday evening dumped about two to three months' of rain, saturating the place.

Some partygoers are choosing to stay back for the burning of a manlike figure that brings the event to an official close.

Burning Man festival hit by heavy rain

rm/rt (Reuters, AP)