Hundreds of people have been evacuated from a hotel in Folkestone after a large fire broke out overnight. Emergency services were called just after 1am on Saturday to the Grand Burstin hotel in Folkestone, where a fire is believed to have started in the basement, Kent fire and rescue service said. About 280 people were taken to safety and Folkestone and Hythe district council set up a welfare centre.
No injuries relating to the fire have been reported and the cause of the blaze is not yet known. Twenty-six fire engines were dispatched to the seafront hotel, the fire service said. According to the Britannia Hotels website, the Grand Burstin overlooks Folkestone’s harbour and has 550 rooms.
Folkestone and Hythe district council posted on X: “A fire is currently ongoing at the Folkestone Grand Burstin hotel. No fire-related injuries have been reported.” A spokesperson for Kent police said: “Kent police was called at around 1.20am on Saturday 19 September 2026 to reports of a fire at a hotel on Marine Parade, Folkestone.
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