Burning Man attendees asked to change plans as Hawk Fire burns

Burning Man is still on, but attendees are being encouraged to adjust
their travel plans in light of the Hawk Fire burning near Reno. 

The festival is scheduled to start on Sunday, but its remote location in
the Black Rock Desert means most attendees travel from far away to get
to the grounds. Reno is a common rest stop for Burners, where they can
get some rest or stock up on supplies, but this year they’re being asked
to reconsider. 

Organizers on Monday asked attendees to not take hotel rooms from fire
evacuees and to be mindful of closures. People traveling through the
area are also being asked to stock up on food, fuel and supplies before
they get to Reno so they don’t take away from local resources. 

“Treat our neighbors, first responders, hospitality workers and everyone
affected by this emergency with patience and care,” a Burning Man
statement said. 

All major highways leading to the festival area, often called the
“playa,” remain open, according to the Reno-Gazette Journal. 

Burning Man takes place every year over eight days in the Nevada desert,
where tens of thousands of attendees build a temporary city full of art
installations. It culminates in the burning of the titular “man” – a
sculpture, not a real person – and then the burning of the temple in the
festival’s final days. 

This year’s theme is Axis Mundi, which “celebrates interconnectedness,
shared social realities, and our ties to the natural world.” 

Hawk Fire burns 23 square miles, 27% contained
Containment reached 27% and there was no new growth of the Hawk Fire on
Tuesday. The fire has held steady at about 23 square miles since it
burned out of control on Sunday, authorities said at an afternoon news
briefing. 

“We are making progress,” said U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Matt
Zumstein. 

The number of residents under evacuation orders and warnings was reduced
to about 63,000, down from more than 90,000 people when the blaze
mushroomed over the weekend. While winds have eased, there’s still
concern that gusts could push the flames through dry brush into newly
developed neighborhoods in Nevada’s largest city outside of metro Las
Vegas. 

Firefighters are also contending with hot temperatures and low humidity.
At least 32 homes have burned and six are damaged, but authorities said
those numbers are sure to rise as assessment teams begin to survey the
charred areas. 

https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/burning-man-attendees-asked-to-change-p
lans-hawk-fire/