A death at Burning Man on Saturday night is being investigated as a homicide after a man was found in a pool of blood at a camp in Black Rock City, during the ritual burning of the Man.

The Pershing County Sheriff's Office announced Sunday that they had found a deceased man Saturday night around 9:14 pm, just as the annual burning of the Man effigy began on the playa. According to a release, an individual flagged down a sheriff's deputy and pointed them to a camp where a male was found in a pool of blood, per the Chronicle.

"Pershing County Sheriff Office deputies and the Bureau of Land Management immediately responded to the campsite and found a single white adult male lying on the ground, obviously deceased," the release states.

The case is being investigated as a homicide, and those attending Burning Man are being asked not to interfere with the investigation.

"Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances," the sheriff's office said. "This process is still ongoing and the portion of the 'City' where this occurred will have heavy law enforcement presence until the scene can be released."

Officials with the Burning Man organization also encouraged Burners not to interfere with the investigation, adding, "The safety and well-being of our community are paramount."

While accidental deaths have occurred on the playa with some regularity over the years, a homicide is an unusual occurrence. The death of a New Zealand man in 2019 was initially deemed suspicious, but was later determined to have been caused by accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Similarly, a death that was under investigation after the 2023 Burn was deemed the result of drugs — specifically acute poisoning from cocaine, alcohol, and ecstasy/molly.

On the night of the Burn, 41-year-old Aaron Joel Mitchell, likely under the influence of substances, ran into the flames to his death in 2017.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop