A fire broke out Thursday in several pavilions at the COP30 climate summit, forcing the evacuation of the conference site on the penultimate day of talks. Officials confirmed that 13 people were treated for smoke inhalation, though no serious injuries were reported.
Organizers said the blaze was contained within six minutes, but fire officials ordered a full evacuation of the venue. The site remained closed for about seven hours before reopening late in the evening.
Delegates and attendees slowly returned after the venue reopened, some stopping to take photos under the illuminated COP30 signage. Others went back to retrieve belongings or resume negotiations in areas away from the damaged pavilions. Security staff kept the affected zone sealed off behind barricades and curtains.
Brazil’s Tourism Minister Celso Sabino said the fire began near the China Pavilion, one of several structures hosting side events. Video footage showed flames spreading quickly along a wall near the Africa pavilions and the Climate Live Entertainment + Culture Pavilion.
Samuel Rubin, who helped manage the Climate Live pavilion, said the blaze spread rapidly to neighboring structures. The pavilions, made of reinforced canvas and fabric, were engulfed in flames in minutes.
Para state Governor Helder Barbalho told local media that a generator failure or electrical short circuit may have sparked the fire.
The summit venue in Belém had been under construction until just before the conference opened, with exposed beams, unfinished floors, and temporary corridors. Even during pre-summit events, drilling and jackhammering could be heard as leaders delivered speeches, underscoring the rushed preparations.
Volunteer Gabi Andrade, who had been working on accreditations, described being inside the Singapore Pavilion when she noticed black smoke. “A security guard grabbed my hand and led me out as I shouted, ‘Fire!’” she recalled.
Andrade expressed concern about the impact on Brazil’s image as host of the summit. “It’s so sad for us. We all worked so hard,” she said.
