A woman died on the first day of the Burning Man festival held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, stated event organizers and local authorities.
Festival emergency services staff were alerted to an unresponsive person around 11:29 a.m. on Aug. 25. Responders arrived at the scene and performed life-saving measures on the woman but were found unsuccessful, said the Burning Man Project in a news release.
Jerry Allen, the Pershing County Sheriff, identified the participant as 39-year-old Kendra Frazer and that her cause and manner of death are still pending the results of a toxicology screening and autopsy, according to a statement on Aug. 26.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kendra’s family and friends,” said Allen.
Festival organizers offered help to festival participants through peer support services at Ranger headquarters and outposts and 24/7 service at Black Rock City’s Emergency Services Department’s Crisis Support team.
“We understand that this news will be difficult for many in our community. The safety and well-being of our staff and community are paramount. We are cooperating fully with local authorities as they investigate this incident,” read the statement. “Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this loss.”
The Burning Man Project is a counterculture festival held annually in Black Rock City in northwestern Nevada. Participants build a temporary city and camp for the duration of the event and eventually demolish the “city” when it is over. The festival will run through Sept. 2, and organizers expect more than 60,000 people to attend.
Multiple people have died in previous years at Burning Man; in September 2023, attendee Leon Reece, 32, of Truckee, California, died after being discovered unresponsive from suspected drug intoxication.