Burning Man declines assistance from the National Guard: “We are all well-prepared”
Despite urging over 70,000 attendees to shelter in place and conserve water, food and fuel after storms flooded the grounds, the organisers of Burning Man festival have declined assistance from the National Guard.
As was reported at the weekend, Burning Man festival – which takes place annually at Nevada’s Black Rock Desert and is one of America’s most prominent cultural events – was hit by heavy rain, turning the ground into a muddy morass. This meant that those wishing to get in and out were “halted”, according to a statement issued by the organisers.
It was claimed by some US media outlets that on Saturday, September 2nd, over 70,000 people were stuck at the site. In a statement, the organisers said: “No driving is permitted until the playa surface dries up, with the exception of emergency services. Participants are encouraged to conserve food, water, and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space.”
It was also recorded that just before Burning Man began on August 27th, the site was hit by the last of Hurricane Hilary, which forced the organisers to close the gates to those who had arrived early. The situation got so bad in the face of the floods, with attendees being urged to shelter and conserve their supplies, that Nevada’s National Guard offered assistance, and President Joe Biden was briefed. However, the organisers declined the aid, stressing there is no cause for alarm.
“We’re very pleased and surprised that there has been such a fuss over us,” Marian Goodell, CEO of Burning Man Project, told NBC. “We’ve made it really clear that we do not see this as an evacuation situation.”
Meanwhile, a statement posted on Burning Man’s official website reads: “Burning Man is a community of people who are prepared to support one another. We have come here knowing this is a place where we bring everything we need to survive. It is because of this that we are all well-prepared for a weather event like this. 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.”
According to the organisers, attendees will be able to leave from Monday morning. Following claims of an Ebola outbreak at the site, the event also maintained that the “online rumours of transmissible illnesses in Black Rock City are unfounded and untrue”.
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