Key facts
- A fire at the Grand Burstin hotel in Folkestone, Kent, is being treated as suspicious by police.
- Approximately 280 people were evacuated from the hotel.
- The fire is believed to have originated in the hotel's basement.
- No injuries have been reported.
- Kent Fire & Rescue Service sent 26 fire engines to the scene, with three remaining in attendance.
- Britannia Hotels Group, which owns the hotel, is cooperating with authorities.
A fire at the Grand Burstin hotel in Folkestone, Kent, has been deemed suspicious by police after hundreds of guests were evacuated in the early hours of Saturday, September 19, 2026. Emergency services were alerted shortly after 1:05 a.m. BST to the blaze, which is believed to have originated in the hotel's basement. Approximately 280 people were evacuated from the 550-room hotel, which overlooks Folkestone's harbour.
Kent Fire & Rescue Service deployed 26 fire engines to the scene at its peak, with three engines and a height vehicle remaining to monitor and extinguish hotspots. Station manager Lawrence Pater expressed concerns about the building's structural integrity. Folkestone & Hythe District Council established a welfare centre at the Three Hills Sports Park for those affected.
No injuries have been reported, though the South East Coast Ambulance Service assessed a number of people. Kent Police are assisting with traffic flow and investigating the circumstances of the fire. Guests reported hearing alarms around 1 a.m. and described smoke billowing from the underground car park, with some hearing what they believed to be explosions. Ben Cuthbert, owner of The Harbour Inn, opened his restaurant to provide a resting place for evacuees, some of whom had left with only their nightclothes.