Fire Forces Evacuation at COP30 Climate Summit

Irish officials, including Minister for Climate Darragh O’Brien, were among the thousands evacuated from the COP30 climate talks in Brazil after a fire broke out at the venue.

The fire originated in a “country pavilion”-one of many stands countries use for side events and to highlight their climate initiatives.

It rapidly spread to the roof of the temporary structure housing the main negotiations in Belém.

Minister O’Brien and his team of 26 were in the Irish delegation office, approximately 50 meters away, when the fire started around 5pm Irish time.

“It was serious. The fire started very quickly, and you could smell the smoke,” he reported from outside the building.

“Our team is safe and accounted for. The evacuation was very efficient.

“We’ve been told there are no injuries,wich is the most important thing,but we haven’t received any updates on what happens next.

“We’re all outside the campus now. If it was an electrical issue,they’ll need to inspect everything before we can return.

“They’ve removed a large section of the roof to vent the smoke, but rain could cause further damage to the entire facility.”