Fire scare halts COP30 talks as sirens send delegates running; flames seen in venue footage
This screen grab taken from AFPTV video footage shows emergency crews battling a fire that broke out at a pavilion inside the venue of the COP30 UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, Para state, Brazil, on November 20, 2025. PHOTO: AFP
A fire that forced the evacuation of the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belem on Thursday was brought under control, officials said, although it remained unclear whether delegates would immediately return to continue negotiations.
Brazil’s tourism minister told reporters at the venue that the fire was under control and no one was injured, but he did not know whether delegates would be able to return today or Friday to the part of the venue where the summit negotiations were taking place. Summit organizers confirmed the fire was under control and noted that Brazilian fire officials had ordered the evacuation of the summit’s entire premises.
The summit in the Amazon city was initially scheduled to wrap up on Friday but had already missed a self-imposed Wednesday deadline to secure agreement among nearly 200 countries on issues including climate finance and the transition away from fossil fuels.
The fire scare occurred amid an already intense period of activity during the summit’s two-week run, interrupting ongoing negotiations inside the venue. A siren sent delegates, observers, and journalists running for the exits with their belongings, while police formed a barrier to prevent anyone from approaching the area where the fire was reported. TV footage showed flames and smoke inside the conference center, located on the site of a former airport.
Since the summit began earlier this month, multiple protests demanding climate action and forest protection have taken place, occasionally interrupting talks.
