Urgent: Brazil Climate Conference Evacuated Due to Sudden Fire Outbreak

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Talks at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil have been disrupted after a fire broke out in the venue, triggering an evacuation just as negotiators were hunkering down to try to land a deal to strengthen international climate efforts.

Officials said the fire, which erupted at one of the country exhibition pavilions, had been brought under control with 13 people treated for smoke inhalation.

“Earlier today, a fire broke out in the Blue Zone of the COP30 venue in Belém. The fire department and UN security officers responded swiftly, and the fire was controlled in approximately six minutes. People were evacuated safely,” the organisers said in a statement.

“Thirteen people received on-site treatment for smoke inhalation. Their conditions are being closely observed, and they are receiving necessary medical care.”

Summit organisers added that Brazilian fire officials ordered the evacuation of the summit’s entire premises.

The summit in the Amazon city of Belém 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 plans to phase out oil, gas and coal.

Nations in the developing world are advocating for a significant boost in climate adaptation funding from industrialized countries. They argue that increased financial support is crucial as these regions grapple with intensifying natural disasters such as storms, droughts, wildfires, and floods.

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.

TV footage showed flames and smoke inside the venue, a conference centre on the site of a former airport.

Brazilian Tourism Minister Celso Sabino informed reporters that the blaze originated near the China Pavilion, one of several pavilions established for events adjacent to the climate discussions.

A row of men in suits and lanyards hold their arms out as they move through a large, dark indoor space.

A blaring siren prompted delegates, observers, and journalists to hastily evacuate with their belongings, while police formed a barrier to prevent access to the fire-affected zone.

According to Samuel Rubin, responsible for managing a pavilion focused on entertainment and culture, the fire rapidly extended to nearby pavilions.

Brazil circulated a draft deal among governments on Thursday that did not include a roadmap on transitioning away from fossil fuels, two negotiators told Reuters, although the document is still being discussed.

Emissions from burning fossil fuels trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and are by far the biggest contributor to warming.

There are fewer than 48 hours until the scheduled end of the summit to find a consensus, which host nation Brazil has framed as a crucial step to ramping up international climate action and demonstrating that there is broad support to accelerate turning decades of promises and pledges from the COP summits into concrete action.

“One thing is clear, we are down to the wire, and the world is watching Belém,” United Nations secretary-general António Guterres said.