"On Hawaii Island, Pennsylvania resident Andrew Tepper has emerged as one of the island's largest landowners, purchasing over 14,000 acres since 2021. He's also become a controversial figure, holding a Burning Man-inspired festival called "Falls on Fire" on his agricultural land in 2023 and 2024 without the proper permits. The event has raised concerns among neighbors, environmentalists and government agencies about its impacts to the community, such as increased traffic, environmental damage and fire hazards, especially with the Lahaina fire fresh in their minds."
""What started as small beach meetups, backyard builds, and art projects slowly evolved into a year-round network for collaboration, creativity, and community support," Trey Callender, the Burning Man Maui regional contact, told SFGATE in an email. Callender describes the group as a "community-driven group, not an event-production company." Following the Maui fires, he said the Maui group shifted to supporting the affected community."
"After being fined a total of $34,000 for the past unpermitted events, Tepper filed a permit application in August 2024 with Hawaii County officials to allow for the annual event. The planning commission is expected to decide next year whether to approve the multiday festival, which culminates with the burning of an effigy. But some longtime Burning Man community members feel that Falls on Fire has stained the organization's reputation in Hawaii and could spark pushback for future official events."
Andrew Tepper purchased over 14,000 acres on Hawaii Island since 2021 and staged a Burning Man–inspired festival called Falls on Fire on agricultural land in 2023 and 2024 without permits. Neighbors, environmentalists, and government agencies raised concerns about traffic, environmental damage, and fire hazards, especially after the Lahaina fire. Tepper was fined $34,000 and filed a permit application in August 2024 seeking approval for an annual multiday festival that culminates in an effigy burn. Regional Burning Man groups exist on Maui and Oahu, and some longtime community members say Falls on Fire damaged the movement's reputation in Hawaii.
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