‘Mudpocalypse’ Hits Burning Man, 73,000 Trapped In ‘Toxic’ Lake Bed In Nevada Desert

Food and fuel are running low for the tens of thousands of attendees (and tech bros) trapped at the Burning Man festival located in one of the harshest environments on earth (high desert, on a dried-up alkaline lake bed) in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. The situation deteriorated early Saturday when a rainstorm drenched the lake bed, transforming the area into a ‘mudpocalypse.’ 

Since early Saturday, all entry and exit points of the Burning Man festival remained closed due to the thick, alkaline mud. As of 0900 ET Sunday, event organizers said, “The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed. Ingress and egress are halted until further notice. No driving is permitted except emergency vehicles.” 

Organizers continued to advise the 73,000 attendees to “conserve food and water, and shelter in a warm space.” 

The gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed. Ingress and egress are halted until further notice. No driving is permitted except emergency vehicles. If you are in BRC, conserve food and water, and shelter in a warm space. More updates to come. Stay safe!

— Burning Man Traffic (@bmantraffic) September 3, 2023

The Independent confirmed local officials had reported at least one death but have not released details on the suspected cause of death. A major concern is that the toxic alkali dust that makes up the lake bed is now three inches of mud, and if attendees aren’t wearing socks and closed shoes, it can cause chemical burns called “Playa Foot.” 

All fun & games until that alkaline rich mud sucks the moisture right out of the skin. Those porta johns are filthy and can’t be emptied. On a sunny day it takes 11hrs to commute into this remote barren lake.
Burning Man 2023 pic.twitter.com/qrwsSQMSH2

— Mr. Maverick (@TheMan2Day) September 3, 2023

This person really explained burning man so well..like that is a legit safety hazard.. pic.twitter.com/uWNs7VDBHw

— UghGiveRespect 🇨🇩🇿🇦 (@KANA9371) September 3, 2023

As supplies dwindle, attendees are attempting to escape the muddy hellhole for safety. Some had zero success. 

🚨Breaking:
This poor Jeep tried to get out! Burning Man! 😂 #BurningManFestival #BurningMan2023 pic.twitter.com/3SKBkUeRDB

— Stay Frosty 🇺🇲 (@brewdoggy) September 3, 2023

More footage of the geniuses who decided to party in a toxic dry lakebed only to find out it occasionally rains in the desert. 

Burning Man is a mess. Upward of 60,000 people are literally stuck in mud and have been ordered to stay put.

Food and water running low. pic.twitter.com/HKRZSwkTCY

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) September 2, 2023

🔥☔ Mudpocalyptic at Burning Man!

A challenging situation unfolds as the desert festival site turns into a sea of mud due to unexpected rain, leaving Burning Man attendees trapped. Stay safe, resilient, and support one another, Burners! 🌄🌧️ #BurningMan #RainyDesert… pic.twitter.com/QCVPCeFg3D

— FlashFactsHub (@FlashFactsHub) September 3, 2023

⚠️BREAKING: More than 73,000 people are trapped in mud at Burning Man in Nevada due to major flooding pic.twitter.com/t7asFadYnK

— Everything you need to know (@Everything65687) September 3, 2023

Not everyone’s feeling sorry for all the rich folk stuck in the mud at Burning Man [via @YahooNews] https://t.co/zZi3Cu9ONM pic.twitter.com/9CQsTlSIfN

— Ńasser 1️⃣ Million Tweets 🐦 (@nasser_mo3gza) September 3, 2023

And who attends this drug-infested event? The rich tech bros. 

… rich white tech bros. 

Surely, these ‘informed’ folks who are now stuck in a swamped toxic lake bed understood it was an El Nino year… 

Probably not. They were fixated on the corporate media headlines hyping a non-existent climate crisis (well, that’s according to these 1,600 scientists).