A massive fire interrupted the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, on Thursday, just as negotiators were gearing up to push for a stronger global climate agreement. The blaze erupted in the pavilion area of the conference centre, sending smoke across the venue and triggering an immediate evacuation.

People Evacuated as Smoke Fills Pavilion

According to The Guardian, 13 people were taken to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. Officials said the fire was brought under control within minutes, though the exact cause is still under investigation. Early reports from Reuters, quoting the local fire department, suggested that an electrical appliance, possibly a microwave, may have sparked the incident.

In a statement, UN organisers said, “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."

They added, “Thirteen individuals were treated on site for smoke inhalation. Their condition is being monitored, and appropriate medical support has been provided."
Videos showing flames spreading through the venue soon appeared on social media.

Evacuation Halts Negotiations

The entire site was cleared shortly after 2 pm local time, and officials said it could take several hours before delegates could return. The sudden disruption pushed a carefully planned schedule into chaos.

Key Meetings Forced to Stop

On Thursday, the COP30 presidency had planned to work on a new draft of the “mutirão” decision. This document is central to the summit’s outcome and may include a commitment to create a roadmap for moving away from fossil fuels. To advance this, the presidency had lined up several high-level meetings with major negotiating blocs.

However, those plans were derailed. The Alliance of Small Island States was supposed to meet the presidency before 4 pm, but the session was cancelled. The European Union had scheduled a ministerial coordination meeting at 6 pm, followed by talks with the presidency at 9 pm. Both were thrown into uncertainty after the evacuation.

Summit Timeline Now Unclear

The summit was expected to conclude on Friday, but the fire has disrupted the critical final phase of discussions. Delegates were left unsure about when postponed meetings would resume.

The incident also occurred on the same day UN secretary general António Guterres urged all countries to reach a deal. He welcomed renewed calls from several groups for clear commitments on the contentious issue of phasing out fossil fuels.