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

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.

Fire station manager Lawrence Pater told the BBC the ‘very severe’ fire prompted inspectors to examine if it damaged the hotel’s structural integrity.

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.

‘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.

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