With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
'The World Is Freaking Out, But We Are Just Fine': An Interview With A Burning Man Organizer In Black Rock City
A vintage overview of the set up for Burning Man in the desert at a location known as Black Rock City.
(
Scott Nelson
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Two days after a prolonged rainstorm stranded tens of thousands of attendees in Black Rock City during this year's Burning Man Festival, the news coming out of the Nevada desert has been breathless at best, surreal to say the least.
What we do know is that authorities are investigating a death at the festival, and no detail has been released.
Beyond that, it's a lot of — shall we say — squishy news, so squishy it borders on the absurd. Case in point: the rumored Ebola outbreak that's apparently gone unchecked at the gathering.
To clear a few things up, we caught up with Michael Mikel, a Burning Man elder and the festival's official ambassador who's better known as Danger Ranger. He has been in Black Rock City all week — just as he would for almost every single festival before this.
Support for LAist comes from
LAist: There seems to be so much disinformation out there about what's happening. Have you had a chance to look at Twitter?
It's hilarious. I heard President Biden just called in the National Guards. And they are sending FEMA, and Ebola is running rampant. It's crazy.
Mikel: What is the weather condition out there now?
We had light rain today. It didn't make things worse.
[At] Burning Man, [the] environment is harsh, hot and windy. It also can be rainy and cold. And we are having very extreme rain here. I have not seen rain like since 1998, [when] we were locked down for four days.
This is not as bad as '98. But there are a lot more people here now. It's difficult for them to walk around and for vehicles to move. But today a lot of people have left and are leaving. There are about 30 vehicles stuck in the mud.
Support for LAist comes from
There is no crisis here except people might need a shower or their TVs. By and large the community here is very well settled in.
The festival has been quite the story — everyone's at the edge of their seats waiting to see what's going to happen.
We are a unique community here. It's the most unique community on the planet. We can teach the world a lot about how we can live together.
We are hunkered down in our camps. We have plenty of food and water and resources. Many camps are playing music. The bars are open. We are having a great time.
The world outside is freaking out. We are just fine.
And you still planning to burn The Man tonight?
We're working on it now. We want to burn The Man.
Support for LAist comes from
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist