Man dies after jumping in fire at festival

A man has died after deliberately running into a fire at a Burning Man-type festival in the USA.

Organisers and partygoers at the counterculture festival could do nothing but watch as the man, who was dancing near the 20-metre bonfire at the Element 11 event ran towards the flames.

The man, who police identified as 30-year-old Christopher Wallace, had told other attendees that he planned to jump into the flames earlier in the day, the New York Daily News reports.

"This is what he was going to do, and it’s what he did," Grantsville Police Lt. Steve Barrett said.

Horrified guests and fire safety officials were unable to get close enough to the fire to aid the man, who ran into the blaze shortly after 11pm on Sunday night.

Everybody was in the right place at the right time," safety coordinator J.P. Bernier told FOX 13.

"This guy was really motivated. He was fast, he didn't respond to commands to stop, he clearly had an objective."

Festival organisers have described the events as "deeply upsetting".

"Our hearts go out to the Utah community and to the attendees of Element 11," the group on their Facebook page. "This is a tragic event and we struggle to respond to it."

Author: Lachlan Williams; Approving Editor: Simon Black 

Source: New York Daily News

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