Burning Man 2017 Fire Death Photos, Videos: Aaron Joel Mitchell, 41, Dies After Running Into Flames

There has been a death at the famous Burning Man festival, held in the Nevada desert. Graphic photos and videos purporting to show the moment that 41-year-old Aaron Joel Mitchell ran and dove into a structure that was fully engulfed in flames are being published on social media and beyond.

According to TMZ, Mitchell died on Sunday morning as a result of the injuries sustained after running into a Burning Man statue. He was taken by helicopter to the UC Davis hospital burn center, where he was pronounced dead. As reported by the Hollywood Reporter, Mitchell did not appear to be influenced by alcohol, but a pending toxicology report will tell more about what happened at the Burning Man festival, which was attended by approximately 70,000 people in the Black Rock Desert, which is north of Reno.

Mitchell’s shocking actions and death at the Burning Man festival were caught in haunting photos and videos by those who saw him running into a burning statue. Firefighters rescued Mitchell and attempted to treat his injuries on the scene. A photo from the Burning Man festival near Gerlach, Nevada, at the Black Rock Desert, is shown above. Burning Man celebrates arts in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Graphic photos of the incident appear surreal, as the long-haired Aaron was seen running into the blazing fire, and then falling in the flames as fire rescuers appeared, attempting to save his life.

Thousands of Burning Man festival revellers see a man ‘BURN TO DEATH’ after he dived into the flameshttps://t.co/VKPS6Pk0jF

— The Sun (@TheSun) September 3, 2017

As seen on the Daily Mail, graphic photos of Mitchell running into the burning structure have been published. It isn’t the first time that an attendee has tried to run into a burning structure at Burning Man. The problem was so prolific that festival organizers employed their own fire rescue team to try and prevent people from running into Burning Man structures as part of their “rebirth” or spiritual experience.

Videos of the 2017 Burning Man festival are also appearing on YouTube, which show the moment that Aaron ran into the flames, and there are questions about how many people in the Burning Man crowd actually noticed Mitchell running into the flames to his death. Other videos show the activities of the 2017 Burning Man festival from afar.

Nevada sheriff: Man who ran into Burning Man festival's signature burning of a towering effigy has died. https://t.co/G1II97HFPk pic.twitter.com/3Y6IuwjLhP

— SFGATE (@SFGate) September 3, 2017

[Featured Image by Brad Horn/AP Images]