Sheriff: Man Who Ran Into Burning Man Fire Dies
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BLACK ROCK CITY, Nev. (AP) -- The man who died after running into the flames at the Burning Man festival's signature burning ceremony has been identified.
Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen identified the man as 41-year-old Aaron Joel Mitchell.
Mitchell died Sunday morning at the UC Davis hospital burn center in California.
The man ran through two-layers of security officers at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday during the Man Burn event at the counterculture festival.
Allen said doctors confirmed Mitchell wasn't under the influence of alcohol but that a toxicology report is pending as part of the investigation.
There have been injuries reported before but Allen said this is the first fatality he's aware of in his 15 years with the county.
A Burning Man spokesman didn't immediately respond when asked for comment.
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