U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Nevada |
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October 9, 2006 | ||
CONTACT: Jamie Thompson at (775) 623-1500 Burning Man 2006 Reaches Record Heights The numbers are in for the Burning Man event and they show several records were broken in 2006, starting with the population of Black Rock City. A record 39,100 people were there at midnight on Fri., Sept. 1. Huge twin propane air bursts lit the night sky over Nevada’s Black Rock Desert Playa on Thursday, August 31, 2006. It reminded some Burning Man participants of old films they'd seen of nuclear blasts. The radiant heat warmed people more than a quarter-mile away.
Dust Storms Few, But One Especially MemorableThis year’s event was reasonably free of dust clouds. The weather was generally good with highs in the low to mid nineties and light to moderate winds. However, at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening a major dust storm slammed into Black Rock City causing total whiteout conditions that lasted for several hours. Suddenly, people who had been carefree pedestrians or bicyclists were lost in a white fog of choking playa dust. At times the dust would thin just enough to see fellow participants stopped in their tracks, unable to move for fear of bumping into someone else or being bumped into. At the midpoint of the semi-circular city, on the edge of the playa, there is a large tent topped by colorful flags. Inside this usually conspicuous focal point is the Center Camp Café which sells coffee drinks and hot chocolate. (This is one of two places within Black Rock City authorized to sell goods; the other is Arctica that sells ice. All other transactions are conducted by “gifting.”) During the worst of the white-out, the Café proprietor, whose “playa name” is Aristotle, emerged carrying a bullhorn on a shoulder strap and calmly blared out into the howling wind: “Standing out here in the dust is not comfortable or very safe. Follow the sound of my voice into the Center Camp tent and get into shelter until the storm blows over. Follow the sound of my voice . . .” Gradually the people close enough to hear were able to slowly make their way toward the sound of the speaker’s voice and into the Center Camp Tent. Fees Cover Personnel Necessary for Public Safety BLM charges Black Rock City, LLC $4 per person per day for the seven-day event for days when these people are actually in attendance. The fee for the 2006 Burning Man event, paid in installments, was $843,000. The money is first used to cover BLM’s costs to permit and administer the event, including BLM law enforcement costs. In accordance with BLM regulations, funds remaining after these costs are paid are used to improve resource protection and visitor facilities and services in the immediate area. This year, at its peak, there were 60 BLM employees working at the Burning Man event, two less than in 2005. Most were law enforcement officers or those who support that function. Senior law enforcement staff who have worked the Burning Man event for years agree that this was the most peaceful event yet, despite the record attendance. Each year, BLM, the Pershing County Sheriff's Office and Black Rock City, LLC set up an Incident Command Post (ICP) on the playa about a quarter mile outside of Black Rock City. BLM administration and law enforcement activities are conducted from the ICP, which also includes a dispatch center that enables BLM, the cooperating agencies and Black Rock City, LLC to communicate with the outside world primarily through radio and satellite phone communication. There is no public cell phone capability in the Black Rock-High Rock area. Law enforcement statistics were down substantially from last year. BLM rangers issued a total of 155 citations, a decrease of 27, and made one arrest for a drug offense. Eighty-one of the citations were for drug-related offenses (down by 37 from 2005), 72 for violations of closure orders - trying to sneak into the event without paying (up 50 from a year ago), and the remainder for miscellaneous violations ranging from creating a nuisance to reckless driving. The Pershing County Sheriff’s office made seven arrests (up by 4 from 2005) and issued one citation (down one from a year ago). This means that the total of citations and arrests this year was 164, down 24 or nearly 13 percent from last year, despite increased attendance. A significant decrease was in drug citations and arrests, down from 120 in 2005 to 83 this year - a reduction of 31 percent. The Nevada Highway Patrol worked 119 shifts to cover the heavy traffic entering and leaving the Burning Man event, the majority during the days when traffic was heaviest on Nevada Highway 447. Most activity involved assisting motorists, 560 of them, up 121 from last year. The number of accidents was unchanged from last year and there were no fatalities. Seventeen total arrests were made for an increase of 12 over last year; four of which were DUI arrests. A total of 234 citations were written (129 for speeding, 42 hazardous, 9 occupant restraint, and 54 others), and 213 warnings/mechanical repair orders were issued. Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) recorded slight increases in medical treatments this year. Patient visits were up 70, or 4 percent, to 1,819 this year. Transports by ground and air from Black Rock City to Reno were up by 30 percent from 40 to 52. Injuries due to vehicle accidents (aircraft, mutant vehicles, cars, trucks, scooters, bicycles, etc.) were up from 5 to 8. There was one natural death from cardiac arrest. Planning Necessary for Trouble-Free Event
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