Ben and Erin Napier, stars of HGTV’s ‘Home Town’, recently opened up about the series of unfortunate events they experienced last year. During an episode of ‘The Heirloom’ podcast, the couple discussed their new show, ‘Home Town: Inn This Together’, which followed them renovating a hotel in Laurel, Mississippi with their friends, and the aftermath of the devastating fire that the building faced shortly after filming wrapped in August 2025.
A Challenging Time
The fire happened around the same time as other difficult events in their lives, including a close family member being hospitalized and Erin’s parents deciding to put down their dog. Erin also turned 40 around that time, but didn’t feel like celebrating due to the circumstances. Her friend, Mallerie Rasberry, who she partnered with to build the hotel, organized a birthday party for her, which Erin described as ‘the saddest party in the world’.
Ben joked that it’s an ‘unwritten rule of the 40th birthday’ that it won’t be a great day, citing examples of other people who had bad experiences on their 40th birthdays. The couple’s friends and fans witnessed the devastating fire overtake the hotel on the June 1 episode of the show, with Erin looking visibly emotional as she watched the flames take over the structure.
Rebuilding and Recovery
The episode ended with a note letting fans know that the roof has been rebuilt since the fire, but the couple has been vocal on social media about setbacks in the rebuilding process caused by a delay in the insurance company approving their claim. Ben wrote on Instagram that ‘our friends are STILL waiting on @libertymutual to complete the claim’ and expressed gratitude for the support of their friends and community.
The couple first found fame on HGTV’s hit show, ‘Home Town’ in 2016, which followed them as they renovated historic homes and helped residents restore their homes. When speaking with Fox News Digital in December 2025, they shared the biggest challenges that come with working so closely together, with Ben noting that the only challenge is trying to surprise each other with something.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
