A fire at a seaside hotel where about 280 people were evacuated is believed to have been caused deliberately, police have said.

A total of 26 fire engines were sent to the Grand Burstin Hotel in Folkestone at about 01:05 BST, Kent Fire & Rescue Service said.

Kent Police said that the fire was being treated as suspicious and are appealing for witnesses.

“Inquiries into the circumstances are under way,” police said.

In an update at 15:00, the fire service said that nine fire engines remained at the scene “dampening down any remaining hotspots”.

Station manager Lawrence Pater said the “very severe” fire had raised concerns about the structural integrity of the building, and that it was seeking advice from inspectors.

Folkestone & Hythe District Council has set up a welfare centre at the Three Hills Sports Park and nearby residents have been advised to avoid the area of the fire and close windows and doors.

“We are supporting all emergency services involved in the response and their efforts to get people to safety”, the council said.

South East Coast Ambulance Service said it assessed a number of people at the scene and one person was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

A spokesperson for Britannia Hotels Group, which runs the Grand Burstin Hotel, said it was “taking immediate action to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all guests and team members”.

“Emergency services are on site and we are fully cooperating with the authorities to support those affected and assist with the ongoing response”, it added.

Ross Honeycomb, 39, was staying at the hotel with his family and told the BBC that they were woken by fire alarms at about 01:00.

He said: “I thought I was dreaming, it was horrifying.

“We looked out and 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.”

Bill Owen, who checked in on Saturday afternoon, said that when he walked past the car park, the “heat coming out of it was incredible”.

He added: “We could see thick black smoke. You could taste it.”

Another person told BBC South East that the fire had been “wind driven” and had begun in the basement, though a cause of the fire had not yet been established.

Kevin Crawford, 91, and his wife Kathleen, 82, said that they had booked in for a two-week stay at the hotel.

The couple, from London, told the BBC that they were in their room on the sixth floor when they heard a fire alarm.

“We saw the fire but we thought the fire brigade had it under control,” Kevin Crawford said.

“We managed to sleep through it. At the time, we didn’t realise how bad the fire was.”

HIs wife said that they were brought down from their room after waving to people from the window.

“The hotel is very damaged,” she added. “We are so lucky to be alive.”

Ben Cuthbert, owner of The Harbour Inn, opened his restaurant for those who evacuated.

“I got a call in the middle of the night and I was told there was a big fire at the hotel,” he said.

Cuthbert added that there were many people who did not know where to go or what to do.

“Some people left their room only in their night gowns and had nothing else with them,” he said.

“A lot of people were scared, we helped comfort them by giving them a place to rest.”

Cuthbert also offered space for paramedics to treat people.

Kent Police said that officers were called to the hotel at about 01:20 to “assist traffic flow” while firefighters tackled the blaze.

Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran paid tribute to emergency services on X, saying firefighters responded “rapidly, professionally and with saving lives at the forefront of their minds”.

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