Burning Man is having another less-than-great weather year, and Thursday brought news of the first death on the playa for 2026.A man in his 50s was found dead at Burning Man on Thursday evening, according to Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen. As the Reno Gazette-Journal reports, the man, who has n ot been publicly identified, was found unresponsive around 6:30 pm, and emergency responders were unable to revive him.In a statement, the Burning Man Project said that the man "suffered a medical emergency" and "was transported to the onsite center for emergency care where he was pronounced deceased."Black Rock City, given that it is a temporary city of upwards of 60,000 people, typically sees one or two deaths each year. The death of a 37-year-old Russian national last year at Burning Man continues to be investigated as a homicide, and this week we learned a few new details as the case remains unsolved.This is also turning out to be another difficult year on the playa when it comes to weather. Extreme winds and a dust storm forced the temporary closure of the Burning Man gates on Thursday evening, as the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.That closure continued all day Friday, after rain this morning turned the Black Rock Desert into the mucky, muddy scene that has become very familiar the past several years. As one Burner dubbed it, "Mud Burn Season 2," though for some this is like Season 3 or 4.Burning Man officials were encouraging late-arriving attendees to stay in Reno until they hear word that the gates are open.And attendees on the playa today were being told to refrain from driving vehicles, lest they get stuck in the cement-like mud. ...read more read less