Burning Man begins massive cleanup after heavy rain muddied campgrounds

Burning Man attendees who abandoned tents, vehicles and waste at the site after a mass exodus from the remote Nevada desert this week began returning to the site Wednesday to begin the herculean task of cleaning up, organizers said.

The annual weekslong cleanup effort that follows the festival could be more challenging this year after torrential rain covered the site and the campgrounds in ankle-deep mud and led some attendees to abandon belongings they’d brought with them to the venue known as Black Rock City.