Erin Napier turned 40 in August 2025, but the milestone birthday became the saddest of her life when the Heirloom Hotel—the centerpiece of her HGTV spinoff project—caught fire on August 26, just days before her celebration. In a June 7 episode of The Heirloom Podcast, the Home Town star reflected on the devastating timing and how she and her team found comfort amid the tragedy.
The fire struck the 30-room boutique hotel in Laurel, Mississippi, where Erin and her husband Ben, along with their partners—Erin’s cousin Jim Rasberry, Jim’s wife Mallorie, and longtime friend Josh Nowell—had spent two years transforming a vacant 1930s department store into a landmark destination. No injuries were reported since the building wasn’t occupied at the time, but the blaze caused significant damage to the property that was set to debut in the HGTV series Home Town: Inn This Together.
Despite the somber circumstances, Erin’s cousin Mallorie insisted on hosting the 40th birthday party that had been planned. “Mallorie had volunteered to host my 40th birthday party. And I was like, ‘We are not having the party this weekend. That is not happening.’ And Mallorie said, ‘I need to be with all my people,'” Erin shared on the podcast. “So we had the party, and it was the saddest party in the world. All I wanted for my birthday was to eat dip. So, we ate dip and cried.”
The group used the gathering as a moment to process their collective grief. Josh Nowell reflected on how the birthday celebration, though somber, became a silver lining. “When the fire happened, that’s what was kind of nice about your birthday party. The locals understood how hard we had been working, but the public had not… they don’t really know until these episodes have aired how hard we were all working to make this happen,” Josh said on the podcast. Erin added that the gathering felt like “a little funeral,” capturing the weight of watching their dream project consumed by flames.
The fire was later determined to be accidental and caused by an electrical issue, according to preliminary investigations. The final episode of Home Town: Inn This Together aired on May 31, 2026, showing footage of the fire and the team’s emotional reaction as they watched smoke billow from the roof of the historic building they had worked so hard to restore.
The Ongoing Insurance Battle
Nearly a year after the fire, the Napiers and their team face a new struggle: an unresolved insurance claim. In early June, both Erin and Ben took to social media to reveal that Liberty Mutual, the hotel’s insurance company, has yet to approve their claim, stalling the rebuilding process.
“It has been nearly a year since the fire, and our friends are STILL waiting on Liberty Mutual to complete the claim,” Ben wrote in an Instagram post shared jointly with Erin on June 1. “We don’t know what the future holds, but we know God holds us.” The delay has frustrated not only the Napiers but also the broader community of Laurel, where the hotel represents a significant economic and cultural asset.
Erin has made a direct appeal to the insurance company, urging them to “do the right thing” and expedite the claim resolution. The public pressure has mounted, with fans and community members expressing frustration on social media at Liberty Mutual’s handling of the case. Despite the setback, the team has signaled that rebuilding remains a priority, with Josh Nowell noting on the podcast that while they don’t know exactly what comes next, they continue to dream about the hotel’s future and the broader vision they have for their community.
Sources
- People.com — Erin’s podcast reflection on her 40th birthday and the fire’s timing; details on the final episode of Home Town: Inn This Together aired May 31, 2026
- Yahoo News New Zealand — Podcast episode details and Erin’s quote about eating dip and crying
- The Clarion-Ledger — Confirmed the fire occurred on August 26, 2025; the hotel is a 30-room property; no injuries were reported; the team spent two years on the restoration
- Laurel Leader-Call — Preliminary investigation confirmed the fire was accidental and caused by an electrical issue
- Instagram posts from Ben and Erin Napier — Insurance claim details and statement that Liberty Mutual has not completed the claim nearly a year after the fire
- SuperTalk Mississippi Media — Reported on the insurance claim battle with Liberty Mutual
- Hindustan Times — Confirmed August 26, 2025 fire date and electrical cause
