The first blaze erupted at approximately 9pm on March 28, 2025, at the Phoenix Hotel in North Weald Bassett, where Rawand Abdulrahman set mattresses on fire in Room 9. The flames spread rapidly, destroying an entire wing of the building. Ten fire engines were dispatched to tackle the inferno. Essex Fire Service investigators concluded the fire was deliberately started, with a report determining there had been a risk of multiple fatalities. However, no lives were lost and no serious injuries occurred, thanks to staff who activated the fire alarm system.
Related protests occurred outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, where Luke Fleming, 21, and Shaun Thompson, 38, pleaded guilty to violent disorder relating to a demonstration on July 17 last year. Shaun Thompson also pleaded guilty to criminal damage after being accused of punching a police car. Multiple protests were held after asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was charged with sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. He was later found guilty and deported to Ethiopia.
Sentencing for Rawand Abdulrahman is scheduled for next month. After a blaze at the Bell Hotel on April 5 last year, Rawand Abdulrahman told police that 'ghosts' might have been responsible.