Fire Breaks Out at UN Climate Summit

“We’ve been evacuated due to a fire — not exactly sure how the day is going to continue,” a journalist with Heatmap was told via text.

Video uploaded by the New York Times shows flames billowing out of a long booth, burning a massive hole through the ceiling. In all, 13 people were treated for smoke inhalation, and meetings were delayed until much later Thursday night.

Unlike the “green zone” which was open to the public, all official UN proceedings took place in the blue zone, making the fire a pretty severe setback. Per the NYT, the fire was just one of a handful of disruptions at COP30, coming after food shortages, water leaks, and dizzying heat left the summit attendees reeling.

In all, over 56,000 delegates from some 200 countries had registered to attend the proceedings in-person. Notably absent was any federal delegation from the United States, though state-level governors Gavin Newsom of California and Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico were present for at least some of the summit.