Burning Man organisers update festival goers urging people not to drive in chaos

03 September 2023 , 17:51

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Burning Man was shut down as a result of a severe storm

Burning Man Project raised a red flag about road conditions, asking people not to drive. Organisers are worried about another weather front on the move.

Some vehicles have been okayed to traverse the muddy terrain. On Twitter, organisers explained that those using four wheel drive vehicles or all-terrain tires were 'finding success' getting off of the property.

Overall, though, they are advising against driving. The wrote: "Please do NOT drive at this time. Road conditions differ based on the neighborhood. We will update you on the driving ban after this weather front has left the area."

They had previously made an exception for emergency vehicles. However, they have not specified if that exception still stands.

Road conditions are muddy at the Burning Man festival (DIANA JENSEN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The organization made a promise just yesterday to bus people away from the festival. They said in a statement: "We are also deploying buses to Gerlach to take people to Reno who might walk off the playa."

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Despite the inclement weather, there are still plans to 'burn the Man' which is central to the event. The Burn is expected to take place tonight at 9:30 p.m. local time. However, they are still monitoring the weather and plan to update everyone by noon.

The current weather prospects are looking glum. In fact, Burning Man explained to expect "some rain from intermittent thunderstorms, possible gusty winds & lightning". They added that there is still a 30% chance of showers, but that should drop to 10% after 5 p.m..

Burning Man has faced inclement weather this year (AFP via Getty Images)

Organisers have insisted that they were prepared for this potential storm. They said in a statement: "Burning Man Project has been facilitating Black Rock City and Burning Man for over 30 years. We have done table-top drills for events like this. We are engaged full-time on all aspects of safety and looking ahead to our Exodus as our next priority."

As of the last update, those 'roads' to 'Exodus' have remained closed. Plus, people are being asked not to travel to Black Rock City, either. They wrote on Twitter: "Access to the city is closed for the remainder of the event, and you will be turned around."

Burning Man organisers have also previously said that they are working with "agency collaborators on the local, county, state, tribal, and federal levels". The continue to monitor the situation.

Scarlett O'Toole