BLACK ROCK CITY - As tons of burning wood collapsed onto the playa, whirlwinds of smoke and red-hot debris collided with spectators downwind of the spectacle.
Those with common sense fled the conflagration, while hundreds of mesmerized "burners" pushed toward the flaming remains of a 100-foot wooden effigy and its flying saucer platform.
There were minor burns and bruises to feet and other body parts but no major injuries were reported after Saturday's climax of Burning Man. The annual festival featured elaborate sculptures, moving dance clubs on wheels, high-tech laser shows, portable movie theaters, non-stop electronic rock, but the main attraction seemed to be fire.
Structures that took days or weeks to install were torched in minutes during and after the event. "It's a form of expression," explained 68-year-old burner Betty Drake of Phoenix.
As well as issuing citations and investigating crimes, law enforcement officers appeared to enjoy handing out frisbees, lip balm and other free "swag" to burners, courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management and the Pershing County Sheriff's Department.
On Saturday night, patrol vehicles were lined up in an ominous show of force as federal and county officers gathered for a group photo with the "Man" just before it was torched.
While touring the event, Pershing County Sheriff Rich Machado awarded good behavior with gold paper sheriff's deputy badges and advised participants "to let common sense be your guide."
Over the radio, a BLM officer reported a citation for possession of a controlled substance (PCS) and a warning for an obstructed license plate. The marijuana was confiscated by the officer but the participants were not arrested, Machado said.
"He'll confiscate the drugs - they don't get to keep that, but they're allowed to continue with the event," he said. "At some point, they're going to have to answer for being in possession of marijuana."
There were numerous traffic stops, drug searches and citations issued by BLM officers along the entrance route and at the gates. Inside the event, integrated teams of BLM officers and county sheriff's deputies responded to calls-for-service, including reports of domestic battery, lewd behavior, sexual assault, driving under the influence of alcohol, polluting the playa with human waste, among other state and federal crimes.
As for nudity, officers looked the other way unless the situation appeared suspicious.
"Nudity is kind of the norm out here but officers notice the J.D.L.R. or 'just doesn't look right,'" Machado said. "There would be something that might indicate criminal intent."
A few burners have protested online against an alleged crackdown by officers at the event, but they represent a small minority of the participants, according to Machado.
"If you come out and ask the populace about their interactions with law enforcement, they are positive interactions," he said. "They understand why we're out here and that our mission is to protect them, to keep order and provide security for the event."
Drake said she feel safer with law enforcement at the event. Lovelock resident and long-time burner Jennifer Osborn agreed.
On Monday, Pershing County Undersheriff Tom Bjerke said nine people had been arrested for domestic battery, open and gross lewdness, driving under the influence, disturbing the peace and property damage. All but three or four of those arrested had bailed themselves out of the county jail in Lovelock. Sexual assault cases are still under investigation and it was too soon to give the total number of citations issued and arrests made by sheriff's deputies as a result of the event, Bjerke said.
"There were a few more (arrests) than last year," he said. "There's quite a few case numbers, but for some there just wasn't somebody to arrest - they'd already left the event or the people wanted to report crime but they didn't necessarily want criminal action."
Efforts by the district attorney's office and the courts to release low-risk inmates helped prevent overcrowding at the county jail, Bjerke said. Participants arrested by the BLM for federal crimes, such as drug trafficking, were transported to the Washoe County Jail.
This year's Burning Man attendance was estimated at about 61,000 revelers, according to officials. The annual event on the Black Rock Desert was permitted by the BLM for 68,000 this year. Last year, about 56,000 people attended.
During the event, deputies were "integrated" with BLM officers, who issued federal citations for violations like polluting the playa with human waste, gray water or sewage, motor oil and other fluids.
Bjerke said he wasn't sure how well that collaboration worked. Communication between deputies on scene and county headquarters was inadequate but electronic reports have streamlined the criminal process. Complete crime statistics on the event (after action report) will not be available for about another week, he said.
"Traditionally, we'd have to wait until the end of the event to get reports back from Burning Man," Bjerke said, while holding up a stack of new case reports. "Then we'd have to compile all the crime reports. This year, we can at least get the narratives and cover sheets. A lot of the attachments like witness statements can easily be added to the reports before they are sent to the district attorney's office."
Bjerke, who has patrolled Burning Man in the past, questioned the increasing size and number of fires ignited at the event each year. On Thursday, crowds massed around 24 structures that were simultaneously torched before the main burn on Saturday night.
While some burners complained about the law enforcement presence, Drake said she and other women at the event would not feel safe without the sheriff's deputies and BLM officers. Bjerke did not release this year's sexual assault statistics but warned that unknown drugs freely distributed at the event increase the hazards, especially for women.
"I just get sad when I read a lot of the cases because women wake up and think they might have been raped but they're not sure," he said. "They complain that we (law enforcement) should let people know how dangerous it can be and we try to do that."
At past festivals, burners have asked Bjerke to do something about the dust problem. He explained that vehicle traffic breaks the playa's natural "crust" which releases more dust.
"It's like the outer frosting on a cake - once you break that, it can get dry," he said with a laugh. "You guys have created the dust by breaking the crust on the playa and there's not too much we can do about that. When the burners are not there, it's not dusty."
During the event, portable toilets and sewage trucks collected tons of human waste and trash. During the next few weeks, volunteers will comb the playa for leftover debris to "leave no trace." BLM officials will inspect the playa before permitting next year's event.
Lovelock American Legion members, including Willetta "Sis" Reid, 75, received free tickets for a one-day guided tour of Burning Man last week. Like others who have checked out the event, she photographed the "fantastic" artwork and numerous bicycles.
"We support them, not particularly for their lifestyle or anything, but we do support the fact that they are bringing a lot of money into the county," she said. "Burning Man was a very different culture from anything I've experienced but, at my age, nothing shocks me anymore. I think everybody should go with a good attitude and make their own opinion."
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