Woman, 39, Dies On First Day Of Burning Man Festival, Cause Under Investigation

A 39-year-old woman died on the first day of Burning Man, the popular counterculture festival held annually in the Nevada desert, according to the New York Post. Kendra Frazer was found unresponsive at the festival around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, and despite efforts to revive her, she was pronounced dead, Burning Man organizers said in a statement.

Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen stated that the cause of death is under investigation, pending autopsy and toxicology results, in a statement shared on Facebook.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kendra’s family and friends,” Allen added.

Authorities noted that the death occurred before the official start of the event, which festival organizers confirmed began at 6 p.m. The New York Post also reported that participants were not permitted to enter the festival until midnight on Sunday.

“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 as 39-year-old Kendra Frazer,” Burning Man organisers said in a statement.

“On Sunday, August 25, 2024, at 11:29 am, Burning Man’s emergency services personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive individual. Once on scene, life-saving measures were immediately attempted but were unsuccessful,” they added.

Burning Man is a nine-day festival centred around community and art, culminating in the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy.

The event takes place in Black Rock City, a temporary city constructed in the Black Rock Desert of northwestern Nevada.

According to the Guardian, the festival began early Sunday after the gates were closed for 12 hours due to severe weather.

About 20,000 people were already on the Playa – a silt-alkaline salt flat – before the gates reopened, and organizers anticipate more than 70,000 attendees throughout the nine-day event.