By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-20 09:27:27 | Updated at 2026-09-20 10:09:41
48 minutes ago
Police are treating a fire at a Folkestone hotel that sparked a mass evacuation as suspicious, it has been confirmed.
Two-hundred and eighty people were forced to evacuate the Grand Burstin Hotel at around 1:05am on Saturday after a fire broke out.
Twenty six fire engines tackled the fire in the early hours of the morning.
Kent Police have confirmed they are treating the fire as suspicious and are appealing for witnesses.
"Inquiries into the circumstances are under way," police said\
Fire crews remained on scene into the evening on Saturday as firefighting operations continued.
The fire service confirmed that crews remained overnight to target any remaining hotspots.
"An investigation is under way to establish the cause of the fire at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone, which is being treated as suspicious," a fire service spokesman stated.
A fire at a Folkestone hotel is being treated as suspicious
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Kent Fire & Rescue Service station manager Lawrence Pater said the “very severe” fire raised concerns about the building's structural integrity, and inspectors were being consulted.
The council said: “We are supporting all emergency services involved in the response and their efforts to get people to safety.”
A spokesman for Britannia Hotels Group, which runs the Grand Burstin Hotel, said it was "taking immediate action to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all guests and team members".
"Emergency services are on site and we are fully cooperating with the authorities to support those affected and assist with the ongoing response", he added.
The structural integrity of the hotel needs to be checked by inspectors following the fire
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Ross Honeycomb, 39, was one of the guests at the hotel when the fire alarm went off, he told the BBC: “I thought I was dreaming, it was horrifying.
“We looked out and there was smoke billowing from the underground car park. Later we started hearing explosions.
“It has just been madness. I have been out barefoot all night.”
Kevin Crawford, 91, and his wife Kathleen, 82, said they were booked in for a two-week stay at the hotel, when the alarm woke them up on the sixth floor.
“We saw the fire but we thought the fire brigade had it under control,” Mr Crawford said.
“We managed to sleep through it. At the time, we didn't realise how bad the fire was.”
Ben Cuthbert, owner of The Harbour Inn, opened his restaurant for those who were evacuated.
He told the BBC: “I got a call in the middle of the night and I was told there was a big fire at the hotel.
“Some people left their room only in their night gowns and had nothing else with them.
“A lot of people were scared, we helped comfort them by giving them a place to rest.”
