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Burning Man Burns Early This Year

There is no joy in Black Rock City today. Hippies, artists and people who love fire head to Nevada every year for the Burning Man festival, a desert encampment full of people in crazy costumes, making new friends and (allegedly) enjoying mind-altering substances. The centerpiece of the festivities is a giant wooden man packed with explosives, scheduled to burn at the conclusion of the festival Saturday night.

At least, that's how it was supposed to happen until a participant and Hunter S. Thompson impersonator decided to set the Man on fire early Tuesday morning. Because of the forthcoming lunar eclipse, many people in the camp were awake at around 3AM when Paul Addis allegedly set the Man's leg on fire; event staff put the fire out, but the Man will have to be rebuilt before Saturday.

Addis' motives are not clear, but a 2002 letter to the editor he sent to the San Francisco Weekly criticized the amount of control the planners of Burning Man have over participants. Fight the power, Addis!

Related Stories:
· The Arsonist of Black Rock City [Valleywag]
· Burning Man coverage [Jaunted]
· Reno Hotels [HotelChatter]

[Photo: DangerRanger]