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Flames consume the 70-foot man amid fireworks at the end of the 16th annual Burning Man festival Saturday near Gerlach.
AP Photo
| Monday, September 03, 2001
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal Fire signals end of Burning Man 26,000 attended weeklong counterculture fest By MARTIN GRIFFITH
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RENO -- Thousands of free spirits headed home Sunday at the close of the 16th annual Burning Man festival. Billed as the ultimate celebration of self-expression and self-reliance, the psychedelic gathering climaxed Saturday night with the ceremonial torching of a 70-foot wooden statue of a man for whom the event is named. About 26,000 celebrators from at least 40 states and 12 countries cheered and danced after the bonfire was set on the Black Rock Desert, 120 miles north of Reno near Gerlach. A fireworks display and laser light show followed. "The level of energy out there was amazing," said Don Lawson Jr. of nearby Empire. "It was sensory overload. You can walk that place the whole week and not see everything," said Chris Jones, 26, of San Francisco. The celebration combines wilderness camping and a mix of art and music in a five-square-mile encampment known as Black Rock City. No major problems were reported, other than blinding dust storms and temperatures in the upper 90s. Arrest statistics were not available. Emergency medical personnel treated about 1,500 participants, most for dehydration, heat exhaustion, bad sunburns and other minor injuries. "Things went very well overall and we're pleased with the outcome," said Les Boni of the Bureau of Land Management, which manages the land where the festival is staged. Unlike past years, no major traffic jams were reported as most participants headed home Sunday. Organizers scheduled events through Sunday night, including another major burn, to spread the exodus out. Some participants began leaving after a dust storm Saturday morning, but most took the dust in stride. The festival is known for its offbeat artwork, music, games and other activities. Saturday night, artists tossed their paintings, sculptures and other creations onto the bonfire to reinforce the celebration of art for art's sake.
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