Firefighters have been forced to call in a specialist robotic unit to battle a fresh outbreak of smoke at Folkestone’s Grand Burstin Hotel after structural safety fears prevented crews from entering the building.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service rushed back to the historic seafront property at 8:36 am this morning, Wednesday, 23 September 2026, following reports of smoke billowing from the site of the recent major fire. Three fire engines were initially scrambled to the scene in The Harbour to assess the situation after smouldering laundry inside the damaged structure ignited.
With the stability of the building compromised following the previous blaze, command units deployed a cutting-edge firefighting robot to safely navigate the hazardous interior and douse remaining hotspots with pinpoint precision. The operation has since been scaled back to two fire engines, with crews expected to remain at the scene for several hours to monitor the structure and ensure the site is fully secure.