Woman dies on opening day of Burning Man festival: “Heavy hearts”

Authorities are investigating a death that occurred on the first day of the infamous Burning Man festival in the northern Nevada desert.

The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said emergency crews responded to a 911 call about a woman found unconscious around noon Sunday in Black Rock City, a makeshift town built for the festival about 100 miles north of Reno.

Attempts by the Burning Man Project rescue team to save the woman’s life were unsuccessful.

“It is with a heavy heart that the Burning Man Project confirms the death of a participant at Black Rock City in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends who have suffered this loss,” festival organizers said in a statement, adding, “We are cooperating fully with local authorities in their investigation of this incident.”

Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said Sunday’s death remains under investigation pending the cause and circumstances of the death. More information will be released after the autopsy is completed.

Allen said the woman’s name and age would not be released until her relatives were notified, but festival organizers identified the woman as 39-year-old Kendra Frazer.

The festival, which combines wilderness camping with a week-long arts celebration, began early Sunday after the gates were closed for 12 hours due to rain and mud.

BURNING MAN FESTIVAL ATTRACT A STAR WITH NAKED AND “ORGY DOME”

An estimated 20,000 people were already on the beach before the gates were officially opened to all ticket holders.

Known for its colorful theme camps, giant sculptures, drum circles, art cars and avant-garde theater performances, the city’s visitor numbers grew from about 4,000 in 1995 to 50,000 in 2010, temporarily making it the third-largest city in Nevada after the metropolises of Las Vegas and Reno.

BLACK ROCK DESERT, USA: Dancers at the Burning Man festival create patterns with fireworks in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert shortly before a five-story, neon-lit mannequin is burned on the final night of the week-long festival on September 6. (Mike Nelson//AFP via Getty Images)

In 2023, an estimated 73,000 people attended the 35th annual Burning Man festival, with another 95,000 participating in regional events around the world.

(Cindy Crawford/Instagram)

Since the festival moved from Baker Beach in San Francisco to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada in 1990, about half a dozen other deaths have been reported. Last year, a 32-year-old California man died of suspected drug poisoning after being found unconscious on the festival grounds.

Other deaths recorded at Burning Man over the years include a woman who was hit by a bus in 2014 and a visitor who fell under a trailer in 2007. In 1996, a friend of Burning Man co-founder Larry Harvey was killed in a collision with a delivery truck while riding his motorcycle at night.

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Burning Man runs until September 2nd. The organizers expect over 70,000 visitors this year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.