"There were wind gusts over 45 mph for a sustained period of time," a Burning Man project spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement to SFGATE. "Participants and staff were advised to batten down their camps and avoid driving during low visibility."

Extreme late summer weather is bringing oppressive heat, fires and even a dust storm that hit the West where some camps at the weeklong Burning Man festival in Nevada were wiped out and severely limited visibility.