BELEM, Brazil — A fire briefly swept through several pavilions being used for U.N. climate talks in Belem on Thursday, prompting an evacuation of the conference site and sending 13 people for treatment for smoke inhalation.
Organizers said firefighters brought the blaze under control in about six minutes. Authorities ordered the evacuation of the entire COP30 site, and it was not immediately clear when sessions would resume.
Brazil’s Tourism Minister Celso Sabino told reporters the fire started near the China Pavilion, one of several temporary pavilions set up for sideline events at the summit. The fire quickly spread to neighboring structures, including some of the Africa pavilions and a youth pavilion, according to Samuel Rubin, who helps run an entertainment and culture pavilion.
Video from the scene showed large flames engulfing one of the canvas or fabric pavilions, which typically have three walls and a floor. Para state Gov. Helder Barbalho said a generator failure or a short circuit in a booth may have triggered the blaze.
Much of the summit venue remained under construction up to the conference’s opening, with exposed beams, open plywood floors and metal mesh corridors. During a pre-summit event, drilling and jackhammering were audible while world leaders spoke and workers in hardhats moved among unfinished, plastic-shrouded pavilions.
Volunteer Gabi Andrade, who had spent three weeks handling accreditations, said she was visiting the Singapore pavilion after lunch when she saw black smoke. A security guard led her to an exit as she cried and shouted “fire.” She expressed concern about the impact on Brazil’s reputation as host after weeks of local preparations.