Summary
Users on r/burningman have flagged a county permit application for a proposed R&D site at Iveson Ranch, roughly 10 miles from Black Rock City and about 26 miles north of Gerlach. According to the thread, the application (reported to be 124 pages) describes testing of large drones, storage and use of explosives, and frequent flights and detonations.
- Alleged testing of explosives including TNT and Câ4 with charges described up to ~200 pounds each, with as many as five detonations per day.
- Regular drone flights over the property and nearby public land â the thread cites up to 15 flights per week.
- A proposed private airstrip on BLM land to support staff commuting and operations.
- Requests for variances and exemptions from local zoning, noise, and landâuse rules; some names in the permit materials were reported to have ties to defense industry entities.
Those details come from community reporting and the permit documents linked in the thread. If approved, the site would be an active test range for drones, explosives, and related R&D â a prospect the Burning Man community says could create noise, shockwaves, and safety concerns for the region around the playa.
