Authorities have launched a homicide investigation after finding a man dead in a pool of blood Saturday night at Burning Man.
The body was found shortly before the wooden effigy at the center of the festival was set to be burned in an annual tradition that takes place on the penultimate night of the festival.
The body was found at 9:14 p.m. by a festivalgoer who then flagged down deputies from the Pershing County Sheriff's Office, the agency said in a news release Sunday.
"Pershing County Sheriff Office deputies and the Bureau of Land Management immediately responded to the campsite and found a single white adult male lying on the ground, obviously deceased," the statement read.
"Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances," the department added.
Burning Man organizers urged participants not to interfere with law enforcement as they investigate.
"The safety and well-being of our community are paramount," festival organizers wrote in a prepared statement.
The death comes after a massive sandstorm caused gridlock outside the festival in its opening days.