In a statement shared while clearing out the grounds, Apogaea’s organizers described the sequence of events that led them to end the gathering two days early.
People belonging to the Burning Man community and beyond have been taken aback with the news Apogaea ended early due to drugging concerns on Friday afternoon. Organizers of the Trinidad, Colorado gathering have now publicly shared more details of the incidents that prompted their decision.
In an early Sunday morning Facebook post, an Apogaea spokesperson recounted that two attendees reported that someone gave them a substance that tested positive for fentanyl. Apogaea staff never tested the substance themselves, but the anecdote still made its way up the chain of command.
“When first brought to the attention of Rangers and Medical, it was miscommunicated as a potentially bigger issue, possibly a multi-casualty incident involving an entire theme camp,” reads the statement. “This safety heads-up wasn’t accurate but resulted in our teams being on heightened alert.”
Then, on Friday, another attendee decided to test the water in their bottle after noticing an undissolved gelcap in it. They reported that two separate tests came up positive for fentanyl, and multiple subsequent reagent tests by Apogaea staff detected the presence of multiple substances.
“Our Board of Directors had a narrow timeframe to update the County, per agreement resulting from the previous day’s incident,” the post explains. “Discussion between the Sheriff’s department and our team resolved to close the event. We made the decision as best we could with information available to us within the limited timeframe.”
Apogaea spread the word of their decision among those onsite by disseminating copies of a printed notice. It implored attendees to “prepare to evacuate immediately” and “be vigilant about the liquids you ingest.” No individuals are known to have consumed any of the tested substances, nor have any been hospitalized in connection with Apogaea.
According to a 2023 article citing research by Rutgers-New Brunswick, fentanyl — which it says is the #1 killer of US citizens under 50 — can be easily weaponized due to its high availability. Whether or not there was malicious intent behind the Apogaea incident, what sets fentanyl apart from other deadly chemical agents is that its fatal effects can be curbed with Naloxone.
Complicating the shutdown on Friday and Saturday was a game of telephone in which information about the incidents ended up misconstrued and then amplified in online forums. The resulting confusion made it an unnerving weekend for many who knew that their friends and loved ones were attending the event.
“The decision to close the event was not easy, especially with the multitude of complicating factors,” read Apogaea’s statement. “We learned some lessons and we will improve how we address different emergency scenarios in the future and cooperative decision-making with local law enforcement.”
