Burning Man crowd size exceeds limit set by BLM

RENO, Nev. — The annual Burning Man festival on the northern Nevada desert drew a record crowd of nearly 54,000 people — more than the 50,000 allowed under a permit with federal land managers. A peak crowd of 53,735 was reported late Saturday afternoon, which was nearly 4,000 people more than the maximum limit set by the agency and roughly a 9 percent increase over last year, said BLM spokeswoman Lisa Ross. “I think they’ve increased in population almost every year.” A phone call to Burning Man spokeswoman Marian Goodell was not immediately returned. One participant died of unknown natural causes on Wednesday, Ross said, and the festival’s medical center assisted many revelers for dehydration and other health problems.