COP30 Fire. Source BBC, Fair Use, Low Resolution Image to Identify the Subject

Did a Battery Fire Just Kill the COP30 Climate Conference?

Essay by Eric Worrall

“… One eyewitness told the BBC that he believes an electrical fire was the cause. …”

COP30 climate talks evacuated after fire breaks out

Georgina Rannard and BBC climate team in Belém, Brazil

The talks were in the final hours of trying to agree on next steps to tackle climate but the fire has disrupted negotiations.

“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.

“Then I ran, I think I tripped and fell.”

“People are pretty traumatised and shocked,” she added.

“There’s a huge panic, people have been running out of here, it’s a very dramatic moment… UN security guards are telling us to leave,” said BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt.

“It looks actually as if they are beginning to get it under control but you can see huge columns of smoke rising up into the air through the hole that’s been burnt in the top of the conference centre.”

One eyewitness told the BBC that he believes an electrical fire was the cause.

Read more (includes video): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9d9p5jrjgo

The article doesn’t say it was a battery fire, but from the video in the BBC article above, it was a pretty impressive blaze for a simple electrical fault. Of course the intensity of the fire might have been caused by all the disposable single use petroleum based plastic used to construct the climate conference pavilion.

The UN seems determined the conference will continue, but with the conference almost at its end, no significant leaders in town, and many conference center evacuees likely relocating to the nearest wine bar to calm their nerves, there is a good chance a lot of people will pack up and go home early.

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November 20, 2025 8:21 pm

For once, their dire predictions were fulfilled.

Climate-Disaster Conference hit … but ‘swift actions’ divert a Climate Disaster!

They Held a Climate Summit in the Amazon. They Didn’t Account for the Rain.

Heavy rain and intense heat have been among the disruptions at COP30

A spokesperson for the U.N. conference said organizers have taken steps to respond to the weather. “Swift actions have been taken to address issues as they arise, and the COP is proceeding well,” said the spokesperson. “The overwhelming majority of participants are focused on the substantive issues, as climate-driven disasters hit every economy, jobs, businesses, vital infrastructure and the global supply chains that all nations rely on for low-inflationary growth.”

Adaptation is key, some have learned:

The delegation from the U.K. fled their pavilion, abandoning coffee and snacks after a hole appeared in the tent roof, lightning crackling in the sky.

Others were less fortunati:

on the Italians’ opening night, the torrents of rain short-circuited TV monitors and panelists struggled to give their presentations.

November 20, 2025 11:38 pm

There was an excellent video of a panicking Justin Rowlatt on BBC News last night reporting on the fire. Best report he’s down in years and my 3rd favourite of the week after Scott MacTominey and Kenny MacLean.
I wonder why it wasn’t him that did this BBC article.

1saveenergy
Reply to  Ben Vorlich
November 21, 2025 12:59 am

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cn5159k1krzo

Proving ‘their world’ really is burning up (:-))

November 21, 2025 1:26 am

VIDEO of the fire event –

Ed Zuiderwijk
November 21, 2025 2:15 am

Caused by a battery? Nonsense! It was obviously caused by climate change.

rovingbroker
November 21, 2025 3:54 am

For the first 10 seconds or so of the video, some guy on the left was pointing a CO2 extinguisher at the flames … not at the base of the fire as we were all taught in school.

Rahx360
November 21, 2025 6:19 am

A lot of them hysteric over a fire and that are the same people who want war with Russia. Fire was extinguished quickly so I wan’t a battery.

JTraynor
November 21, 2025 7:09 am

”Study attributes fire at COP30 to the burning of fossil fuels.” Full story at 10.

November 21, 2025 9:01 am

“Then I ran, I think I tripped and fell.”
— Dr. Harshita Umesh

Hmmm . . . most people in a position to lecture to other people might have a better memory than that over the period of, what, minutes to maybe 24 hours at most.

Also from the above article:
“Of course the intensity of the fire might have been caused by all the disposable single use petroleum based plastic used to construct the climate conference pavilion.”
Hey, let’s not discount the possibility of it being fueled by all the toilet paper stuffed into the walls instead of it being flushed down the toilets. /sarc

ScienceABC123
November 21, 2025 9:13 am

What?! They didn’t blame the fire on global warming! They must be slipping.

Bernd Felsche
November 21, 2025 4:34 pm

It’ll be blamed on “fossil” fuels.

The flammable “building” materials would never have existed without fossil fuels. The natives would have instead weaved and hewn the structure and furnishings out of local materials.