Fire disrupts climate talks at COP30 in Brazil as negotiators reach critical final days

A fire broke out at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, forcing evacuations and disrupting United Nations climate talks at a critical time when negotiators were strenuously trying to reach an agreement on how to bolster climate efforts.

The blaze erupted in the Blue Zone's pavilion space, where side events take place during official negotiations. It was brought under control within just minutes and everyone was evacuated safely, however officials temporarily closed the site for safety checks.

"As a precaution, the Brazilian Government and the UNFCCC have jointly decided to temporarily close the Blue Zone while the fire department carries out a comprehensive safety assessment," the organisers wrote in a statement.

The cause of the fire was believed to be an electrical device, likely a microwave, the local fire service said. 13 people were treated on site for smoke inhalation.

The Blue Zone was reopened and resumed operations late on Thursday, the Brazilian presidency wrote in a statement.

With Friday scheduled as the last day and negotiations progressing sluggishly, the presidency of the climate conference had initially planned for ministers and diplomats to work late on Thursday. The fire threw a wrench into an already faltering process.

The summit had already missed a self-imposed deadline Wednesday to reach an agreement on a few key issues, including on climate finance and shifting a

“It means there is a lot to do with very little time. There were already huge gulfs to bridge and this won’t help,” Teresa Anderson, climate justice lead at ActionAid, said.

Some negotiators worry the delay in addition to the initial lack of agreement may force additional compromises.

‘’People tend to feel a little closer during an emergency like this, [...] but there are pretty deep fundamental interests at play," said veteran climate negotiations observer Alden Meyer of the European think-tank E3G, “you could get something that’s so weak that no one wants it".

Just a few hours before the fire, UN Secretary-General António Guterres had urged countries to “show willingness and flexibility to deliver results,” which he said demands "compromise and common ground".

On Wednesday, the summit had already missed a self-imposed deadline to reach an agreement on a few key issues, including on how to increase climate finance to developing countries and fossil fuel phaseout.

Guterres, however, emphasised he is "perfectly convinced" that an agreement could be reached even on these contentious issues. He added that not adopting the strongest measures would be a failure.

"We are down to the wire, and the world is watching Belém," Guterres said, "Communities on the frontlines are watching too [...] They have heard enough excuses. They demand results."