Attendees of the COP30 climate talks in Belém, Brazil, got more than they bargained for Thursday when a fire broke out inside a pavilion and multiple people had to be evacuated. The origin of the blaze is not known as of this writing, and no injuries have been reported thus far.
It looks like it was a pretty dangerous situation:
#COP30 is on fire pic.twitter.com/VWAIhjVrqm
— Mike Szabo / @szabotage.bsky.social (@MikeSzaboCP) November 20, 2025
The fire sent delegates into a panic as they rushed to get away from danger:
The blaze began shortly after 2 p.m., sending panicked delegates racing to evacuate the makeshift convention center, a large tented facility built on a former airfield, as smoke billowed from the site. One video from the venue showed flames burning a large hole through the top as flames licked nearby billboards.
Ana Silva, 26, who is from Brazil and has been working at the conference assigning meeting rooms, was with her colleagues when she noticed a commotion and then smoke. “People started running right beside us,” she said. “Then a guy started yelling, ‘fire, fire’ in English and Portuguese. ‘Fire’ and ‘fogo.’ And we started running.”
❗️⚠️🇧🇷 - BREAKING: Fire Breaks Out in Pavilion at COP30 Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) November 20, 2025
A fire was reported on Thursday, November 20, in one of the pavilions hosting the COP30 UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Pará, Brazil. Security personnel ordered the immediate… pic.twitter.com/qZB7zvtzwz
Security personnel ordered the immediate evacuation of everyone inside the affected area.
At COP 30, Continued Irrelevance and Failure Is in the Air
Footage from the scene:
Authorities are now reporting that the conflagration is under control, but it’s unclear when delegates can get back to the negotiating table.
The summit in the Amazon city was initially scheduled to wrap up on Friday, but it missed a self-imposed Wednesday deadline to secure agreement among the nearly 200 countries present on issues including how to increase climate finance and shift away from fossil fuels.
The fire scare occurred in what is already a hive of activity during the summit's two-week run, interrupting ongoing negotiations inside the venue.
It’s not the first time the summit, which is about lowering greenhouse gas emissions, has experienced problems:
The summit venue had come under criticism this week. Rain from a torrential downpour leaked into the meeting spaces, dripping on delegates. There were complaints about food shortages, and the air-conditioning struggled to keep up with the high heat and humidity. Simon Stiell, the U.N. climate chief, called for tighter security after protesters forced their way into the venue.
It does not sound like a fun place to be.
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