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Blaze disrupts UN climate talks in Brazil at critical time, with just two scheduled days left and negotiators yet to announce any major agreements
Tara Cobham,Stuti MishraFriday 21 November 2025 04:51 GMTComments
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A huge fire erupted at the Cop30 venue on Thursday, leaving 13 people suffering from smoke inhalation and forcing evacuations of several buildings.
The blaze disrupted UN climate talks in Brazil at a critical time, when the host nation was trying to bring 190 countries on board in the final hours of the summit to strike a critical deal with just two scheduled days left.
The fire spread through pavilions being used for the conference in Belem on Thursday, with videos showing emergency crews battling huge flames, and an eyewitness describing seeing billowing black smoke.
open image in galleryFootage shows emergency crews battling a fire that broke out at a pavilion inside the venue of the Cop30 UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, Brazil, on Thursday (AFPTV)The local fire department said the cause of the blaze is being investigated, but suggested it was likely sparked by electrical equipment, such as a microwave.
“Earlier today, a fire broke out in the Blue Zone of the COP30 venue in Belem. The fire department and UN security officers responded swiftly, and the fire was controlled in approximately six minutes. People were evacuated safely,” organisers said in a statement on Thursday evening.
“Thirteen individuals were treated on site for smoke inhalation. Their condition is being monitored, and appropriate medical support has been provided.”
“Following a safety assessment, we inform you that the site has been inspected and deemed safe by the Fire Department,” another statement said.
“Brazilian authorities have restored operating conditions at the conference venue, obtained the Fire Department’s operating permit, and returned the area to the UNFCCC.”
open image in galleryFlames spread through pavilions being used for the conference in Belem on Thursday (AFP/Getty)By 8.40pm, the area where the negotiations were taking place was “reinstated and resumed operations,” the organisers said. But fire officials ordered the entire site evacuated for safety checks.
“The area affected by the incident will remain isolated until the conclusion of the conference.”
The fire broke out in the pavilion area of Cop30, a place where participating groups, including countries, showcase their efforts for fighting the climate crisis.
Brazil's Tourism Minister Celso Sabino told journalists at the scene that the fire started near the China Pavilion, which was among several pavilions set up for events on the sidelines of the annual talks. The blaze quickly spread to neighbouring pavilions, said Samuel Rubin, one of the people in charge of an entertainment and culture pavilion. He said nearby pavilions include many of the Africa pavilions and one aimed at youth.
The fire was caused by an overload in the pavilion area, observers said, and it remains under supervision. No serious injuries were reported.
Para state governor Helder Barbalho told local news outlet G1 that a generator failure or a short circuit in a booth may have started the fire.
open image in galleryThe local fire department said the cause of the blaze is being investigated, but suggested it was likely sparked by electrical equipment, such as a microwave (AFP/Getty)Much of the summit venue in Belem was still under construction right up until the conference opened, with exposed beams, open plywood floors and metal meshed-in corridors leading nowhere outside the convention centre. During a pre-summit event, drilling and jackhammering could be heard as world leaders delivered speeches and scores of workers in hard hats scurried around unfinished pavilions shrouded in plastic.
Gabi Andrade, a volunteer with Cop30 from Belem, said she has been working on accreditations at the conference for the last three weeks. She said she had just got off her lunch break for her first free afternoon and was exploring the Singapore pavilion when the fire broke out.
She described seeing black smoke, before a security guard grabbed her hand and showed her to the exit as she cried and screamed “fire”.
open image in galleryA security officer directs people to leave the Cop30 venue (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)Beneath the shock of the situation, she worried about what this would mean for Brazil’s reputation, hosting the talks. "It's so sad for us," she said. "We all worked so hard."
Viliami Vainga Tone, with the Tonga delegation, said he had just come out of a high-level ministerial meeting when dozens of people came thundering past him shouting about the fire.
He was among a crowd pushed out of the venue by Brazilian and UN security forces.
open image in galleryOfficials form a chain to not allow attendees past after fire officials ordered the entire site evacuated for safety checks (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)Mr Tone called time the most precious resource at Cop and said he was disappointed it is even shorter because of the fire.
"We have to keep up our optimism. There is always tomorrow, if not the remainder of today. But at least we have a full day tomorrow," Mr Tone told The Associated Press.
The fire has raised concerns over the hard task of striking a deal at the negotiations, as the host already missed a self-imposed deadline to wrap up the first batch of deals on Wednesday evening.
With just two scheduled days left, negotiatiors will try to arrive a deal that can be accepted by all 190 countries. Every year, the UN climate summit sees world leaders, ministers and all stakeholders involved to come together and sign a global deal.
The most contentious issues at the conference include how the world can move away from planet-warming fossil fuels and how to finance the world’s efforts to fight the crisis.
A few hours before the fire, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres urged countries to compromise and "show willingness and flexibility to deliver results", even if they fall short of the strongest measures some nations want.
open image in galleryThe blaze left 13 people suffering from smoke inhalation and forced evacuations of several buildings (AFP/Getty)"We are down to the wire and the world is watching Belem," Mr Guterres said, asking negotiators to engage in good faith in the last two scheduled days of talks, which already missed a self-imposed deadline Wednesday for progress on a few key issues.
The conference frequently runs longer than its scheduled two weeks.
"Communities on the front lines are watching, too – counting flooded homes, failed harvests, lost livelihoods – and asking, 'How much more must we suffer?"' Mr Guterres said. "They've heard enough excuses and demand results."
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