AGENTAround 280 evacuated as fire tears through Folkestone’s Grand Burstin Hotel
A basement fire brought 26 fire engines to Folkestone’s seafront hotel, forcing hundreds of guests into emergency accommodation while the cause and damage remain unknown.
Around 280 people were evacuated from Folkestone’s Grand Burstin Hotel on Saturday after a fire broke out in the basement, triggering one of the largest emergency responses seen in the town in recent years. 1
- Twenty-six fire engines and a height vehicle were sent to the hotel at the height of the response. 1
- Crews wearing breathing apparatus brought the fire under control and were damping down hotspots.
- Folkestone and Hythe District Council opened a welfare centre at Three Hills Sports Park for displaced guests. 1
- No fire-related injuries had been reported by the latest morning update.
- The cause of the fire, the extent of the damage and when guests can return remain unknown.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was believed to have started in the basement. Ten engines were still at the scene in the latest update, while road closures remained in place and police managed traffic around the harbour. 1
The immediate problem is no longer just firefighting. Hundreds of people have been pushed out of a hotel with no published timetable for re-entry or alternative accommodation. Britannia Hotels, which operates the Grand Burstin, said it was taking action to support guests and staff and was co-operating with the authorities. 2
The response has so far produced no evidence of casualties, but the public account is still incomplete. There is no confirmed final evacuation figure, independent assessment of the building’s condition or explanation of what started the fire.