The counter-culture festival known as "Burning Man" kicks off Tuesday in the Black Rock Desert.

The week-long event will end with the burning of a wooden structure in the shape of a man.

Paramedics are also heading up to the desert. Eric Guevin, REMSA's Director of Community Relations, says they handle thousands of emergencies every year, mostly because people aren't prepared for the hot days and cold nights.

"It draws people from all over the world so they aren't used to this type of environment. This is not an environment that even your everyday Nevadans would be in, so it does test everyone and people do get ill here from exposure to the environment."

Medics say dehydration is another problem, and urge all Burning Man visitors to bring plenty of drinking water.