A San Francisco man was arrested on felony arson charges today after the 40-foot-tall “Man” statue whose torching is the annual highlight of the Burning Man festival in Nevada went up in flames four days early, authorities said.

A traditional Indian rath yatra, or a chariot procession, a Hindu wedding and a life size temple of Lord Jagannath are among the major highlights of this year’s annual Burning Man festival in Nevada desert.

Celebrating 'The Burn'

SPREADING THE FLAMES

As the ashes cooled Sunday where the wooden Burning Man toppled in a flaming finale, residents of the West's strangest city began returning their community to the desert dust from which it sprang just a week ago.

BLACK ROCK DESERT, Nev. (AP) - Rising from the desert in one of the flattest, most remote places on earth is an 80-foot temple topped by the stylized figure of a man.

Desert event fires up creativity

AP, Aug. 28, 2002