Security form a chain inside the venue for the COP30 UN Climate Summit after a fire was reported Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Belem, Brazil. ANDRE PENNER / AP
A fire erupted in a pavilion of the United Nations' climate talks in Brazil on Thursday, November 20, forcing panicked delegates to run for the exits and disrupting tense negotiations among ministers from around the world.
UN and security crews rushed with extinguishers to put out the blaze, which tore a hole in the roof of the COP30 site in Belem as smoke engulfed the corridor and people shouted "fire!"
The fire was brought under control and no injuries were reported, Brazilian Tourism Minister Celso Sabino said. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
Firefighters arrived at the scene as smoke billowed inside and out of the conference, which is being held in large tents in the city at the edge of the Amazon, with tens of thousands of people in attendance. "Firefighters and security teams responded promptly and continue to monitor the site," Brazil's COP30 organizers said in a statement.
