Burning Man 1996, Helco. One thing most will agree upon. 1996 was a significant year for Burning Man. People died. John Law quit. The event moved locations, returning to its home two years later. The population again had doubled, now to 8,000 and tickets cost $35.

Bruce Sterling wrote a cover story for Wired Magazine (see insert), HBO and PBS also covered the event. It was the year of the first official theme: Inferno. Love it or hate it, 1996 was an inflection point for Burning Man.