As the giant effigy of the “Man” burned in the nevada desert, a festival-goer approached a sheriffS deputy.

A man was lying in a pool of blood, the individual reported about 9:14 p.m. Saturday.

When the deputy,along with rangers from the Bureau of land Management,found the man at a campsite,he was dead.

Since then, investigators have been swarming the scene, collecting evidence and interviewing neighboring campers at the nine-day Burning Man festival, which draws tens of thousands each year too a desolate area about 120 miles north of Reno for a celebration of “community, art, self-expression and self-reliance.”

The death is believed to be a homicide, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said in a news release Sunday. The remains of the man,who has not been identified,are with the Washoe County regional medical examiner’s office.

“Even though this act appears to be a singular crime,” Allen wrote, “all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances.”

the Burning Man Project, the nonprofit that organizes the festival, said in a statement on its website that it was cooperating with law enforcement and that peer support counselors were available on the grounds.

Past Incidents and Unexpected Joy