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
There was also a minor fire like this one in the underground tram station underneath the US congress day before yesterday.
expert reaction to closing stages of COP30 | Science Media Centre -- Fire has captivated humans for a very long time. If this one was caused by an electrical generator malfunction (one possibly under investigation), an irony box gets ticked. Photovoltaics next time eh? Whether this news from Brazil eclipses another: Brazil’s Supreme Court orders arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro | AP News remains to be seen.
These UNFCCC Conferences of Parties are brief; they close and move on. I think their PV could be provided with less frisky battery backup.
COP30 was latest to be attended by industry reps. Most reporting is on fossil-industry reps . But one could imagine a Tesla Powerwall display happening. For prudence, dial it back to 7 so our fascination with fire goes unrequited.
