In a festival famous for its lack of rules, how can anybody get mad at a guy for expressing himself by setting a fire that they themselves were going to set a few days later? How ironic is it that somebody is charged with arson at a gathering of people who come to see ... a fire? And a suicide is nothing if not the ultimate form of self-expression.

I covered BM in 2001 and I have a warm place in my heart for the event, but I'll be interested to see how the anything-goes Burners spin this one.

Ron Franscell
Under The News

Ok. I was waiting for this. Ladies and gentlemen, yes Burning Man has been approaching mainstream banal status for some time now and the day-glo masses sorely need a traumatic reality check. However the guerilla style pre-burn was totally irresponsible and inexcusable. The most important reason is the danger to property and life. Folks, just the Man alone is a fifty-plus foot wooden structure, not counting the extra thirty to fifty foot base. On the night of the formal burn, there's a hundred foot safety perimeter with fire suppression and medical crew on hand. There's a crew of silver suits that patrol just at the edge of the inferno to ward off drug crazed hippies and ravers who feel the need to commune with the blaze. In short, the burn is dangerous as hell and Burning Man LLC does everything they can to insure the safety of the crowd. Setting off the Man without the attending crew was frikkin selfish and could have constituted negligent manslaughter in event of a fatality. Furthermore, it's not just the Man but any large scale burn needs to be cleared by the Powers on the Playa because they realize that fire is dangerous.

Secondly, the Man is property of Burning Man LLC plain and simple. It's their's to burn when they decide and not a second early or late. There are also art installations held within the base of the Man, unique creations by various artists that may or may not be slated to burn. That guy torched someone else's property and that's arson.

Selfish, negligent and unconcerned with the safety of others, that guy needs to be punished.

Robert R. hit the nail on the proverbial head. Burning Man is not a "anything goes, so you can mess with anyone or their property" sort of event. Yes, their are some stupid clowns (such as the person who started the fire) who don't get that, esp. the "frat party" losers that just show up to party and attempt date rape on the final weekend. The majority of the people at Burning Man have respect for other people's lives, creative works and property.