Hotel fire that led to hundreds fleeing their rooms ‘deliberately’ started, police say

Oliver Pritchard-Jones | Freelance news reporter Published September 19, 2026 7:29pm Updated September 19, 2026 7:29pm The fire is believed to have begun in the hotel’s basement sometime before 1am (Picture: Cover Images) A hotel fire that caused around 280 guests to flee their rooms overnight was ’caused deliberately’, police believe. Almost 300 people had to be evacuated from the Grand Burstin Hotel after the blaze triggered a major response from Kent’s emergency services. It is believed the fire began in the 550-room hotel’s basement sometime before it was discovered at around 1am, according to Kent Fire and Rescue Service. At its peak, 26 fire engines and dozens of firefighters battled to extinguish the fire while Folkestone and Hythe District Council set up a welfare centre to accommodate the guests. Kent Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service also attended. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. Fire station manager Lawrence Pater told the BBC the ‘very severe’ fire prompted inspectors to examine if it damaged the hotel’s structural integrity. The fire prompted around 280 guests to be evacuated (Picture: Cover Images) At its peak, 26 fire engines and dozens of firefighters worked to contain the blaze (Picture: Cover Images) This afternoon, Kent Fire and Rescue Service said an investigation was underway to establish the cause of the fire, ‘which is being treated as suspicious’ currently. Kent Police went further and said: ‘Enquiries into the circumstances are underway, and officers now believe the fire may have been caused deliberately.’ South East Coast Ambulance Service said one person was taken to hospital with minor injuries after being assessed at the scene. The fire service said four fire engines, a height vehicle and a technical rescue unit remained in attendance this evening. Hotel guest Ross Honeycomb, 39, told the BBC how he was woken by fire alarms at about 1am. ‘I thought I was dreaming; it was horrifying,’ he said. While investigations are ongoing, the fire service said it is treating it as ‘suspicious’, and Kent Police believe it was started ‘deliberately’ (Picture: Cover Images) ‘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.’ A spokesperson for Britannia Hotels Group said: ‘We can confirm there has been an incident at the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone, and we are taking immediate action to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all guests and team members.’ As the investigation continues, Kent Police urged anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage from the area, particularly from 10pm on Friday to 12.30am on Saturday, to get in touch. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Man, 28, stabbed to death on London street pictured as devastated family pays tribute Arrow MORE: Gang stabbed boy to death outside McDonald’s then posted photos of bloodied hands online Arrow MORE: Children in balaclavas filmed stealing from shops while ‘smiling’ parents wait outside Breaking News Never miss the biggest stories with breaking news alerts in your inbox.