Over the weekend, false flight information, health advisories, and conspiracy theories were posted on TikTok and Twitter by social media users, according to Forbes, fueling rumours of an Ebola breakout at the Burning Man event. Despite the rumours' debunking, their quick dissemination serves as another illustration of the risks associated with online false information, particularly on Twitter. Two Twitter users, one with a "verified" account, posted a fake screenshot from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention's Twitter account on Saturday, claiming that an outbreak had been confirmed at the festival and that attendees of Burning Man should take cover. This started the rumour mill in full swing. “Tweeted and Deleted; Apparently there’s a fucking Ebola outbreak at Burning Man right now,” the verified user captioned the screenshot.

Another tweet said, "Private jet from Burning Man lands at LAX and gets quarantined on runway and airport evacuated." It included a video of people leaving Los Angeles International Airport. All of those tweets from Twitter, which was just renamed as X, still exist, but now include a note that disproves them and provides context. A user claimed that the reported Ebola epidemic and the torrential rains that lashed the festival grounds in Black Rock City in northwest Nevada were attempts by demonic forces to get rid of "spiritual people" in a more conspiratorial post on a now-deleted TikTok. The weeklong festival, which attracts tens of thousands of attendees, began on 27 August and by Saturday afternoon, Nevada’s bureau of land management declared the entrance to Burning Man closed for good due to wet, muddy road conditions. 

Because the roads weren't secure enough for people to go on, the event's organisers asked "burners" to stay at their camps and preserve their food and water. The burning of a large wooden effigy in the form of a man was the festival's main attraction, but it was postponed due to the weather. Festival goers emphasised that the mud and mire brought out the best in some of their temporary community members despite the chaotic photos that were featured on the news and shared on social media. Cindy Bishop, who travelled to the event from Boston, stated that the atmosphere there had a strong sense of "we're going to take care of each other and make the best of it." “Burning Man is a community of people who are prepared to support one another,” organizers with Burning Man said on the webpage dedicated to helping people navigate the “wet playa”.