HGTV star Erin Napier was seen breaking down in tears while opening up about the emotional experience of watching her newly renovated hotel burn down in flames.
During the latest episode of “Home Town: Inn This Together,” Erin and her spouse, Ben Napier, were left aghast as a fire ripped through the inn that they had spent two years painstakingly restoring in their hometown of Laurel, MS.
The new installment of the hit HGTV show began with another nightmare for the couple—who opened up about a devastating storm that brought heavy rain to the area, which damaged several rooms in the inn.
After the Napiers carried out repairs to the property, it seemed that the clouds were clearing for them as they proudly showed off the finished hotel to Laurel locals, as well as the town’s mayor.
However, things took a sharp turn for the worse after those celebrations came to an end, with text appearing on the screen to reveal that “shortly after filming wrapped, disaster struck.”
Newly taped footage then showed smoke pouring out of the building as firefighters ran in to extinguish the fire. Then the cameras cut to a devastated Erin, who was choking back sobs as she stared up at the burning building.
“Thankfully, there were no injuries during the fire,” a news report voice-over stated. “It was determined that the fire started at the top of the building. Water damage now lies in the lower floors.”
As more scenes of the fire were shown, Ben opened up to the cameras about the couple’s shock and heartbreak over the fire.
“To come as far as we have, and then to have something like this … it is devastating,” he explained.
Erin added, “It’s heartbreaking. For Laurel, this hotel—it means a lot.”
The mother of two went on to voice her determination to salvage the project, explaining how much it means, not just to her family, but to their entire hometown.
Laurel would have benefited hugely from such a high-profile venue, she said. “For a small town, it’s extremely important. And it makes you think, we’ve got to figure it out. We’ve just got to figure it out. You’ve got to keep going.”
Earlier in the episode, Ben had made clear just how much the property meant to their hometown, where they live with their two daughters, describing the hotel as helping to “save” an entire corner of the downtown area.
“It’s not just a hotel; it’s a building that’s saved. It is a corner of downtown that is saved,” he said.
“It’s an upstart in the economy that wasn’t there. It’s a morale booster,” his wife chimed in.
“When the people who live here see that dilapidated building finally restored after 40 years of being vacant, it says something, and it says there’s no going back from here.”
The episode ended with a silver lining. By the time the show was ready to air, significant progress had already been made on the hotel’s rebuild, starting with the installation of a new roof.
“With deep commitment and community support, the ‘Framily’ continues to restore the Heirloom building,” a message at the end of the episode revealed.
The season finale was aired almost one year to the day after the fire broke out—a moment that the Napiers marked in an emotional post shared on social media in the wake of the episode’s premiere.
“Last night’s episode was bittersweet,” the duo wrote in a shared post. “Our friends worked so unbelievably hard, and we have never been more proud to be their friends. The fire shocked everyone. It has felt like a death of a loved one in the community.”
Erin then shared another update about their rebuilding efforts, hinting that they are struggling to secure the insurance money needed to continue with the restoration. She also shared a handwritten note from an 11-year-old fan of the show pleading with Liberty Mutual’s President and CEO Timothy Sweeney to take action to help with their project.
“I am writing on behalf of my friends who own The Heirloom Hotel,” the youngster, Amos Sledge, wrote. “You may have seen this hotel on the HGTV show, ‘Home Town.’ The hosts of the show are our dearest friends, Ben and Erin Napier.”
He continued: “This hotel and this show have shown truth and beauty, and what hard work and true friendship can do. As of right now, your company has not approved their claim to have the money to rebuild. It is heartbreaking to watch the show and see how hard they worked. They put it all on the line.
“I am writing to ask respectfully that you please approve their claim. This is your chance to prove Liberty Mutual is different.”
While sharing the letter, Erin wrote in her caption: “My dear friend, Mr. Amos Sledge, age 11, hopes @libertymutual hears his plea and does the right thing. So do I.”
The fire at the property broke out just days after HGTV announced the launch of “Home Town: Inn This Together,” leaving many fans concerned that the show would not go ahead—even though it had been filmed entirely before the blaze tore through the property.
At the time, Erin took to Instagram to express her sadness about the fire.
“We held each other, and watched while the brave fire fighters from the Laurel FD worked for hours to get it under control. Today feels like a funeral,” she wrote.
She then praised her friends Mallorie Rasberry, Robert St John, and Joshua Nowell for persevering with the project even in the face of such adversity.
“They’re still somehow finding a way to keep looking at the next steps and (asking), ‘Where do we go from here?’ And I don’t know where they’re going to go, yet. But, man, I’m proud of them,” she wrote.
“I think—even though it didn’t go the way we all were expecting and hoping and excited about—if you want to see human endurance and the spirit of we can do hard things, it is going to be that hotel series.”
She confessed that, at the time, she had no idea whether the series would still go ahead. However, her husband later confirmed to USA Today that the network was still planning to air the show in full, albeit with a slightly later launch date than it had originally planned.
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