So you have a beautiful piece of art that has been approved to burn at Burning Man. How do you practice Leave No Trace (LNT) and protect the playa from heat damage?
The Problem
Burning anything directly on the surface of the playa will create burn scars, which are patches of discolored, hardened playa sediment, caused by the heat and smoke of carelessly constructed fires. They are difficult to clean up and take years to recover.
What kind of damage can flaming art do to the playa?
Plenty. The playa hardens and discolors when exposed to fire. This difference in hardness from the surrounding playa when exposed to weathering creates raised areas, allowing dunes to form. Dunes are a hazard for vehicles and affect the landscape in undesired ways.
Burn Scars, like the one shown here, are one of the issues that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) watches closely in their role as stewards of public land. Burning Man’s ability to return to the Black Rock Desert year after year is directly dependent upon our ability to Leave No Trace. It is your responsibility as a citizen of Black Rock City to Leave No Trace during your time here.
If your art incorporates any kind of fire, it is mandatory that you have a burn scar protection plan and that you work with the Fire Art Safety Team (FAST) to assist you. We are here to help! If you are creating burning art, you will be required to fill out the Fire Safety section of the participation form and include your burn scar protection plan.
Your Burn Options
You as the artist have two choices in burning your art:
Move It
This choice is the simplest; you can dismantle your artwork and place it in the Community Burn Garden. The Burn Garden is located on the open playa side of the Esplanade at 5:30 street, and is open from 10am Sunday after the Man burn through Tuesday post-event.
PLEASE NOTE: ONLY wood may be burned in the Burn Garden:
- NO PARTICLE BOARD OR PAINTED WOOD
- NO liquid fuel
- NO cardboard, paper, compost, recycling, trash, or toxic materials such as carpets, cushioned furniture, PVC and other plastics (burning of toxic/synthetics is prohibited by law)
Practice good safety! Be aware of your situation. The height of the cauldrons will most likely be over your head and ablaze, so exercise due care when loading your artwork into the Burn Gardens.
Burn It In Place
If your art has been approved by the Fire Art Safety Team (FAST) to burn in place on the playa, you must have a burn shield to protect the playa from direct and radiant heat to prevent burn scars. There are a number of things you must consider in order to do this:
- You must have a burn shield that extends beyond the width of the artwork to catch any flaming debris that may fall, as well as catch the artwork should it fall to one side.
- Debris such as ashes, wood chips, nails and screws must be prevented from falling onto the playa and settling into cracks in its surface.
- You must be prepared to clean up as quickly as possible after the burn, disposing of all ashes and debris before wind and other weather conditions spread it. You will be responsible for an area of approximately 50 feet or more past your perimeter. A member of FAST will work with you to identify your complete area of responsibility.
Burn Shield: Decomposed Granite (DG)
Burning Man has learned that a 4-inch layer of Decomposed Granite (DG) placed between the surface of the playa and pre-construction of the artwork, like the example shown here, will provide an insulating layer protecting the playa from heat.
The Fire Art Safety Team (FAST) will indicate the size of the DG pad required for your burn, and the amount of DG needed to create it. Arrangements for the purchase of DG are made through Burning Man and a deposit will be required pre-event to insure its clean-up and removal.
Please contact us at fire-art@burningman.org with any questions.
Notes for a Clean Burn
- You may not use painted metal. Remove paint from metal before bringing it to the playa.
- Avoid using aluminum. Even moderately high heat (~1200°F/650°C) will cause aluminum to melt.
- You can use nails, screws, or other steel fasteners in the construction of your installation, but you are required to clean them from the burn site. A magnet rake is one of the greatest cleanup tools for this purpose.
- When preparing to burn your piece remember not to use flammable liquids in such a way that they spill onto the playa surface.
- Avoid incorporating plastics and synthetics into your art installation. Any such items will need to be removed before it is burned.
- Clean up as quickly as possible, before debris can scatter in the wind, or participants pile garbage onto your burn.
- Steel containers (drums, garbage cans, large buckets) are much safer than plastic for removing ashes and debris. Plastic garbage can liners are not recommended.
- Please remember to check out with the ARTery after you have completed your cleanup so we may note that you have left your spot clean.
To be prepared to register an artwork that you will be requesting to burn on playa, please read all the relevant guidelines under our Fire Art Guidelines page.
Questions
Playa art in general: art@burningman.org
Open Fire: fire-art@burningman.org
Flame Effects: flame-effects@burningman.org
Mutant Vehicle Flame Effects: dmv-flame-effects@burningman.org
Pyrotechnics: pyro@burningman.org