Woman's death at Burning Man is under investigation

A woman died Sunday on the first day of the Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, the event and local authorities announced. 

Burning Man emergency service personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive person at 11:29 a.m. in Black Rock City, the Burning Man Project said in a news release. Lifesaving measures were “attempted but were unsuccessful,” officials said. Black Rock City is a temporary city erected for the annual festival.

The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office identified the woman in a statement Monday afternoon as Kendra Frazer, 39. No hometown was given. The sheriff's department said her family has been notified.

The office said an autopsy and drug tests need to be completed before the cause and manner of death can be determined. Drug tests, or toxicology screening, can sometimes take weeks to complete.

In an earlier statement, the sheriff's office said that it was notified about “the potential death” of a participant at 11:37 a.m. Sunday by the festival and that deputies responded and confirmed the death.

“Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this loss,” said the Burning Man Project, the nonprofit organization behind the annual event.

It said support is available to festival participants, including peer support services, at Black Rock Rangers headquarters and outposts and via the Black Rock City Emergency Services Department’s crisis support team. 

“The safety and well-being of our staff and community are paramount," it said. "We are cooperating fully with local authorities as they investigate this incident. The Pershing County Sheriff’s office investigates all deaths that occur in its jurisdiction.”

The festival temporarily closed gates to the event early Saturday for about 12 hours because of rain.

Last year, festivalgoer Leon Reece, 32, of Truckee, California, died after he was found unresponsive on the festival grounds, authorities said. Drug intoxication was suspected, a coroner’s office said in September. 

Reece died amid a weekend of heavy rain that left the venue muddy, roads impassable and many participants exiting by foot. Organizers temporarily shut down traffic in and out of Black Rock City.