Woman Found Dead During 2024 Burning Man Opening Weekend

Police are investigating the cause of death of a woman who was found unresponsive during the opening weekend of this year’s Burning Man gathering in the Arizona desert. According to the Reno Gazette Journal, the unnamed woman — whose age has also not yet been revealed — was found unresponsive at 11:29 a.m. on Sunday (August 25) by the festival‘s emergency services personnel, who reportedly attempted life-saving measures but were unable to revive her.

“It is with heavy hearts that Burning Man Project confirms the death of a participant in Black Rock City in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this loss. The participant has been identified by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office,” Burning Mad said in a statement.

Organizers called in police, with Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen telling the paper that his deputies responded and were notified of the death at 11:37 a.m. The Sheriff’s office to the Journal that the death will remain under investigation until a cause and manner of death can be determined following an autopsy.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the decedent,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “This is the first reported death on the playa this year and unfortunately it has happened on day one,” Allen added. The Burning Man statement said said out of respect for the privacy of the grieving family no additional details on the deceased would be released at this time.

The annual gathering of the vibes in the desolate Black Rock City in norther Nevada finds tens of thousands of revelers hauling in massive artworks, home made fire-breathing mechanical animals and all other manner of bizarre tributes and temporary shelters for the event that ends with the burning of a giant wooden figure. This year’s event is slated to run through Sept. 2 and draw around 70,000.

This is not the first death related to Burning Man, with the Journal counting at least seven previous ones, including the death of a man in 2023 who was found unresponsive in the midst of a massive rain event that turned the typically parched, cracked grounds into a muddy mess.