Leo Gillick
Burning Man has been getting a lot of bad press of late, and things have only gotten worse with a desert raver being electrocuted.
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Burning Man, like most festivals, probably started with pure and bohemian intentions. But, like most large modern festivals, it has been overrun with the wrong people. Burning Man is full of champagne socialists and half-time hippies.
- “Once considered an underground gathering for bohemians and free spirits of all stripes, Burning Man has since evolved into a destination for social media influencers, celebrities, and the Silicon Valley elite,” NPR said of the festival in 2019.
Nature Fights Back: To make matters worse, it seems that the weather has had enough of Burning Man, too. In 2023, there was rain and flooding that turned the usual Burning Man desert into an unmanageable swamp. This year, a dust storm has ripped through the festival, obliterating the renowned Orgy Dome. Silicon Valley sexual health clinics will be delighted.
This year, possibly because of the damage done from the high winds, a man was electrocuted at Burning Man.
Shocking Situation
The identity of the electrocuted person at Burning Man hasn’t been revealed. But we do know that he was airlifted to a medical facility outside of the festival.
How It Happened: It is believed that the man was badly shocked after he stood in a puddle. Due to the damage done to many of the installations, there were wires and cables where they shouldn’t be. One of these had, presumably, lain in a puddle. Upon walking through it, the man was electrocuted.
It’s unclear is the electrocuted man is in a stable condition, but the injury was deemed bad enough to require transport from Burning Man. There are emergency services on site, but their capabilities are limited.
Burning Man is a festival set up by the participants, with stages and events all hosted by members. Because of the nature of the exhibitions and unregulated constructions, there have been several deaths over the years.
Two women have been killed by ‘art cars’ on campus. In 2023 and 2024, there was a single reported fatality for each year, with investigations ongoing. However, in 2017, the most shocking Burning Man death of all was recorded. A man took his own life by sacrificing himself on the burning man effigy.
