Source: COP30 evacuated after fire breaks out The UN climate talks COP30 have been evacuated due to a fire breaking out inside the venue in Belém, Brazil. BBC journalists saw flames and smoke in the pavilion area before they were rushed outside where fire engines raced past. The UN said the fire was extinguished after six minutes and 13 people were treated for smoke inhalation. It is not yet known what caused the blaze. The talks were in the final hours of trying to agree on next steps to tackle climate change but the fire has disrupted negotiations and the talks remain closed. "It was climbing the walls and onto the ceiling. People were screaming," Dr Harshita Umesh, who was giving a talk next to the place where they fire broke out, told BBC News. . . . I appreciate the irony of a conference that recognizes man-made Global Warming caught on fire. Bob Wilson
