Burning Man Burns with Fire
Black Rock City, Nevada (August 2003)
Because of the history of Burning Man, the general lack of rules, the safety of the nonflammable desert, and the visual, auditory, and spiritual effects of impressive burns, there is a lot of burning that goes on at Burning Man. At night, you can look out across the playa and see flame throwers launching streaks 50 feet into the air, synchronized burn guns, and the use of fire in art installations. Also, closure for everyone is symbolized by the raucous and rather pagan Burning of The Man on Saturday night, and then again by the quieter and more reverential burning of the Temple of Honor on Sunday night.
Bunny mesmerized by the spinning fire vortex created by flame and whirling air
Fire spinner at the Tunnel of Fire
Truck lighting off one of its three fire cannons
A performer playing his fire cello, which had fire hooked up to its single string; his partner (behind him) played percussion on fire drums, which lit off fire with every beat of his drumsticks
Fire spinner by The Man
Fire spinning group by The Man, with one of the 4 mega-lasers emanating from the pyramid
The Man on his pyramid; there were stairs on the other side that led to the top most part of the pyramid, and the lower triangular alcoves were later inhabited by costumed deities that answered any question you presented to them
Fireworks shooting up from the pyramid, right before The Man burns
As The Man and pyramid burned, the superheated pyre rose to such a point that frequent fire tornadoes formed from out of the fire and spun across the playa into the surrounding group
After the pyramid collapsed, thousands and thousands of people surged forward and danced in a circle around the huge fire
The Temple of Honor burns, as everyone watches in personal contemplation