The torrential rains that turned roads and grounds into muck and left thousands of people stranded at the Burning Man festival also put off the climax of the carefree celebration of art, music and counterculture: The annual burning of a manlike figure did not happen on Sunday night as had been planned.
A social media account associated with the Burning Man Project’s website said the burn would instead happen Monday night, adding that the muddy conditions and rain had made moving heavy fire safety equipment to the site unfeasible. The announcement marked the second postponement of the burn, which had been initially slated for Saturday night.
It was an unusual turn of events that tested the resolve of participants, who were told to conserve food and water, at the more than three-decade-old festival that prides itself on grit and self-reliance and normally battles excessive heat and, sometimes, excessive partying.