Third Burning Man Attendee Dies, Marking Six Deaths In Four Years

Authorities announced Monday that a third Burning Man festivalgoer died while being taken to a Reno hospital, marking six deaths associated with the event in the past four years. The latest death occurred in Nevada's Washoe County as the person was being transported toward Reno, about 120 miles south of Black Rock City, according to Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen, as NBC News reports . The Washoe County Sheriff's Office has not yet provided additional information on the incident. The death follows two other reported deaths at Burning Man. On Saturday, organizers announced that 60-year-old Craig Mann had been found dead in his trailer at his camp in Black Rock City, which Mann was sharing with his partner. A preliminary investigation found no indication of foul play in Mann's death. The other reported death involved Sampson Tshombe, a man in his mid-50s who died following a medical emergency Thursday. Deputies responded to Rampart, Burning Man's temporary medical facility, after Tshombe was found on a street within the festival. Emergency personnel performed CPR before he was taken to the onsite center, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities also found no signs of foul play in Tshombe's death. The Washoe County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct autopsies and toxicology testing on all three victims, with results expected in six to eight weeks. Allen said the number of deaths this year is unusual for Burning Man, which has averaged about one death annually in recent years. The Reno Gazette Journal reports that "at least" 11 people have died at Burning Man since the event relocated from San Francisco to the Black Rock Desert in 1990 — however this number seems decidedly low, and the Pershing County Sheriff's Office cites an average of one death per year. Six of those deaths have occurred in the past four years, including the 2025 homicide of Vadim Kruglov , which remains unsolved, the 2024 death of 39-year-old Kendra Frazer from an asthma attack while sleeping, and the 2023 death of Truckee resident Leon Reece, whose suspected cause of death was drug intoxication. This year's deaths came during an unusually difficult year for the festival, with rain, heavy mud, dust, and strong winds disrupting travel and operations in the final days. Rain temporarily closed Burning Man's entrance and exit Friday, leaving some attendees stranded in Reno and prompting organizers to warn people not to drive onto the playa until conditions improved. The weather also temporarily closed the festival's airport. According to the Chronicle , DJ and producer Diplo, who performed at the festival, documented his own dramatic trek on foot through the mud to reach a road after the weather disrupted transportation. This year's festival also saw a number of other incidents. An attendee was reportedly taken to Rampart after falling about 55 feet from a tower on September 1, and 34 people were arrested for drug sales or trafficking. Additionally, Burning Man organizers removed a Christian camp from the event, giving its members three hours to pack up, while a video posted by an Israeli soldier showed him dancing in Block Rock City, juxtaposed with footage of him performing the same moves in Gaza just days earlier.