More than 200 evacuated after fire at seaside hotel
More than 200 people were evacuated from the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone following a fire that started in the basement overnight. Kent Fire and Rescue Service dispatched 26 engines to the scene, and while no injuries were reported, residents were advised to avoid the area. The hotel operator stated it is cooperating with authorities to ensure the safety of guests and staff.
- ▪Kent Fire and Rescue Service sent 26 fire engines to the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone at 01:06 BST.
- ▪The fire is believed to have originated in the basement, though the specific cause remains unknown.
- ▪No fire-related injuries have been reported, and 10 fire engines remained on site to dampen down hotspots.
- ▪Folkestone and Hythe District Council established a welfare centre at Three Hills Sports Park for those affected.
- ▪Britannia Hotels Group confirmed it is fully cooperating with emergency services to support the ongoing response.
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| Original publisher | BBC News — UK |
| Canonical URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6ly70gz4008o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss |
| Publication time | Sat, 19 Sep 2026 08:10:54 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-19T08:23:47.331Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-19T08:23:47.331Z |
| Headline source | Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite) |
| Excerpt source | publisher body |
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| Summary | WeSearch · cerebras-chat (WeSearch summarizer) |
| Summary source text | contentText |
| Citation coverage | Summary is a WeSearch-generated derivative; primary citation is the original publisher URL. |
| Cluster | lXfVjR0Ysy3q · 1 stories |
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| Ranking reason | Story pages are not engagement-ranked. Hub feeds use recency, with optional source-diversified chronological ordering (cap consecutive stories per source). No personalized ranking. |
| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
| Substitutes article? | No — link-out required for full text |
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More than 200 evacuated after fire at seaside hotelImage source, Dave HennessyImage caption, A seaside hotel in Folkestone has been evacuated after a fire in the basement in the early hoursByPatrick BarlowSouth EastPublished12 minutes agoMore than 200 people have been evacuated from a seaside hotel after a fire broke out overnight.Kent Fire and Rescue Service said 26 fire engines were sent to the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone at about 01:06 BST.In an update at 08:30, it said 10 fire engines remained at the scene "dampening down any remaining hotspots".The fire service said the blaze was believed to have started in the basement of the building, adding that the cause was not yet known.
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