Fact Check: Is Burning Man a National Emergency? National Guard claim surfaces in wake of festival fiasco 

The Black Rock Desert's Burning Man festival is having trouble as heavy rains ruined the playa and those attending the fest got stuck in sticky mud. Amid this, a news piece is doing the rounds on the internet that the Burning Man Festival has declared a national emergency as the campers are trapped and urged to shelter in place amid the flooding crisis.

However, the news about the Burning Man festival declaring a national emergency turned out to be false. Readers added context to the viral post and said that Burning Man does not have the authority to declare a national emergency.

---

The Burning Man festival is not a national emergency

The post about the Nevada festival declaring a national emergency went viral on the internet. Several social media users began to accept it and share reactions to it. However, X, formerly known as Twitter, provided further context when it was mentioned:

"The festival has not declared a "national emergency." The Burning Man Project is 501(c)(3) non-profit, not a branch of the federal government, and as such, it does not have the authority to declare national emergencies."

Burning Man is headquartered in San Francisco, California. It is worth noting that the festival is run by a non-profit organization, and they have no right to declare a national emergency.

Furthermore, it is important to remember that the situation in the Nevada region where the festival was held is not good at present. The organizers of the festival released a statement in which they said:

"No driving is permitted until the playa surface dries up. People are being encouraged to conserve food, water, and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space."

The Burning Man was slated to take place from August 27 to September 4. However, now that the rain is affecting the area, the supplies are running out, and further events that were supposed to happen have also been canceled.

The festival's attendees' plans were ruined on Friday, August 31, when heavy rains began to fall in the Nevada region where the event was taking place. Thousands of people are now stranded in that region due to heavy rains, and authorities have told them to conserve food and water until things improve.

The festival organizers told Insider that amid the heavy flooding situation, "mobile cell service trailers and buses are being deployed for tens of thousands of people who may be stranded."

Hannah Burhorn, a first-time attendee at Burning Man, told CNN that the desert has turned into clay, and it is currently difficult to get out of there. She further said:

"It’s in the bed of the truck, inside the truck. People who have tried to bike through it and have gotten stuck because it’s about ankle deep."

---

Pershing County Sheriff's Office released a press release about the situation

The Pershing County Sheriff's Office released a press release in which they said that one of the attendees died. However, the cause was not disclosed. The statement further mentioned:

"It is likely to rain for the next few days which could cause further delays and disruptions. They are currently investigating a death which occurred during this rain event."

According to Dexerto, there have been rumors of the National Guard getting involved in this matter. Campers even told the BBC about the situation and said that the party is still taking place and it is business as usual.