A man has died after running into the fire of a flaming effigy at the Burning Man Festival 2017’s signature ceremony.
The man has now been named as Aaron Joel Mitchell, a 41-year-old man from Oklahoma. On Saturday evening during the annual ‘Man Burn‘ event, in which a giant 40ft wooden sculpture is set on fire, Mitchell reportedly charged through two layers of security and jumped into the flames. After being airlifted to a hospital Mitchell died hours later on Sunday morning due to the severe burns he suffered.
Images have now surfaced online of the incident showing the firefighters attempting to rescue the man from the flames. An estimated 50,000 people were present as the scene unfolded.
A statement has been released from the Nevada County Sheriff’s office which tells: “Rescuers had to leave him to allow the structure to fall and provide for rescuer safety before they could go back into the flames to extract Aaron from the debris”.
Counselling is being offered to those who witnessed the incident.
The festival has also shared a statement about the incident. Read the full Burning Man statement below.
“Aaron Joel Mitchell, 41, succumbed Sunday morning to injuries suffered after breaking through a safety perimeter Saturday night and running into a fire at the annual Burning Man event in northern Nevada.
Mr. Mitchell’s family has been advised of his death. Burning Man is working with local and federal law enforcement agencies, and an investigation is currently ongoing.
After being pulled from the fire by Black Rock City fire personnel, Mr. Mitchell was treated on scene, transported to the on-site medical facility, and airlifted to UC Davis Firefighters Burn Institute Regional Burn Center. He succumbed after arriving at the burn center.
The Burning Man organization cancelled scheduled burns through noon Sunday but will proceed with the scheduled Temple burn at 8p.m. Sunday night.
We’re aware this incident has affected not only those who responded immediately on the scene, but also those who witnessed it, and our Black Rock City community more broadly. We are working to make resources available to those affected. Here are some available now:
Emotional support teams have been made available to participants and staff. For people on playa, the Zendo Project is providing peer counselling at their space at 5:15 & A. Support staff from our Emergency Services Department’s Crisis Intervention Team are stationed at 3:00 & C, 9:00 & C, and 5:30 & Esplanade. Please seek them out.
If you are not on playa and are feeling the need to talk to someone, don’t wait. You can reach 24/7 crisis and suicide hotlines at 1-800-273-8255 or 775-784-8090. You can also text LISTEN to 839863.
Now is a time for closeness, contact and community. Trauma needs processing. Promote calls, hugs, self-care, check-ins, and sleep. We have found this article helpful for understanding how trauma affects us: “A New Normal: Ten Things I’ve Learned About Trauma.”
Mitchell was a U.S. citizen currently living in Switzerland with his wife. Police have since stated that he wasn’t under the influence of alcohol but are currently awaiting a toxicology report.
