Man Dies After Running Into Open Flames During Burning Man Festival

A man who caught on fire when he ran head-on into a burning statue while at the Burning Man Festival in Nevada has died from his injuries.

TMZ reports that Aaron Joel Mitchell, 41, was chased by firefighters as he entered the bonfire in Black Rock City at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday night. But he was not caught before entering the burning structure that quickly became engulfed in flames.

With the horrific account captured on camera and shared exclusively to TMZ, it is unclear why Mitchell jumped into the inferno in the first place.

Representatives from the Burning Man Festival’s website said Mitchell was airlifted to a hospital’s burn center, but succumbed to his injuries and died. The went on to share that they canceled scheduled effigy burns through noon Sunday, but will proceed with the scheduled Temple burn at 8 p.m. PST Sunday night.

The deceased’s family has been notified, and Burning Man is working with local and federal law enforcement agencies as an investigation is currently ongoing.

It is reported than more than 70,000 people attend the Burning Man festival every year.