Burning Man Crowds Top 61,000 as Burning Man 2013 Festival Nearly Tops Capacity (VIDEO, PHOTO)
Crowds at the Burning Man Festival have reached more than 61,000 people at the weekend in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada, according to reports from federal officials.
U.S. Bureau of Land Management spokesman, Mark Turney, confirmed that gate management was tightened Friday after organizers realized that the top permitted capacity of 68,000 was nearing at the hugely popular event.
The festival is taking place about 100 miles north of Reno, and according to Turney, the massive crowd does increase and decrease to an extent throughout the day.
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Although the event was mostly calm and enjoyable, there was one noted serious incident in which one person was struck by a vehicle. Organizers at the event have confirmed that the person was rushed by medical helicopter to a local hospital for medical treatment.
However, no other serious injuries were reported through the weekend at the event.
Attendance at the event has increased, according to organizers, with last year bringing in about 56,000 attendees.
This year, with good weather and many families looking to finish off their summer before kids get back to school, attendance has increased well.
The BLM raised the crowd limit this year after organizers agreed to stringent security, public safety, resource management and cleanup rules.
Here is video footage from the Burning Man event:
