Deadly Year For ‘Burning Man’

The ‘Burning Man’ Festival, held each year in the desert north of Reno, Nevada, is a celebration of free spirits as much as it is an art festival, but this year, spirit was trumped by tragedy as a woman attempting to ride a giant “art car” was crushed beneath it. Burning Man’s founder insists that the accident will not cast a pall over future editions of the fest: “Some see photos of people attired in giant rat costumes doing wildly unconventional expressive things and assume this means we’re in some way irresponsible. Nothing could be further from the truth. This isn’t an irresponsible party; it’s a model city. If there are lessons to be learned from this that will improve public safety, we will implement them.”