Seaton Heights Hotel blaze treated as arson
Investigators are asking anyone who saw suspicious activity to come forward
Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed a fire at the abandoned Seaton Heights Hotel is being treated as arson.
Investigators are asking anyone who saw suspicious activity to come forward.
The blaze was first reported in the early hours of this morning (26/11), but it may have started earlier.
Emergency crews say the site is now even more dangerous, and are urging people not to enter the building.
The fire has put neighbouring homes at risk and has cost tens of thousands of pounds in emergency service resources.
In a statement, officers said: "Police are appealing witnesses in relation to a fire at Seaton Heights Hotel. The fire was first reported in the early hours of Wednesday 26th November 2025 but the fire may have started some hours before this.
"We are currently treating this as Arson and are requesting anyone with information to come forward. You may have seen someone fleeing the area or hanging around suspiciously.
"Seaton Heights has been an attraction for a number of people over the years to explore the abandoned hotel. We would like to reiterate that the site is very dangerous and not to enter the site. The site is now much more dangerous following the structural damage caused by the fire.
"Whilst the site is abandoned, the fire has a great effect on the local community. The fire poses a large risk to the local residents area through both spreading to neighbouring properties and through smoke inhalation, which is a real risk at Seaton Heights with the materials that were used when the site was constructed. In addition to this there is a huge drain on resources of emergency services with five pumps, an incident management vehicle and two water bowsers in attendance at this incident. The financial cost of this on the tax payer is well into the tens of thousands of pounds.
"Anyone with information or CCTV in the area is asked to phone 101 or make contact via the Devon & Cornwall Police website quoting 50250303149."
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