Ben and Erin Napier suffered a huge loss when a fire broke out at the Heirloom Hotel they renovated with friends and family for a new HGTV show. Get the latest update about the hotel, including what caused the fire.
Erin Napier Shared the Sad News About the Heirloom Hotel
On August 26, a fire broke out at the Heirloom Hotel in Laurel, Mississippi. Ben and Erin renovated the space with their family and friends, Jim and Mallorie Rasberry and Josh and Emily Nowell, for a new HGTV series titled “Home Town: Inn This Together.”
Erin took to Instagram to share the news of the fire. “After so much celebration last week, today my best friends @malraz, Jim, and @joshuanowell lost their labor of love, their dream, @theheirloom.us hotel in an early morning fire,” she explained in the caption.
She continued, “Before they ever even welcomed the first guest. Praise God, no one was inside. 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. But I know these people. They won’t give up here,” the HGTV star wrote.
She also touched on whether the “Home Town” spinoff will air. Erin noted, “I don’t know what will happen next or if you’ll ever get to see this @hgtv show now. I don’t know much of anything. Pray for my friends and family, please. It is hard to explain how this reverberates through our town and its progress in many ways.”
She added, “But I know God has a plan for this setback. He always knows the way, even when we don’t.”
HGTV issued a brief statement following the fire. “We are grateful for first responders who were able to quickly contain this fire and that there were no reported injuries,” HGTV spokesperson Chelsey Riemann shared in an August 27 statement to USA Today.
What Caused the Heirloom Hotel Fire & Will They Rebuild It?
On August 29, The Laurel Leader Call reported that, following a preliminary investigation, the fire was ruled accidental.
Laurel Fire Department Chief Leo Brown explained, “From the preliminary investigation, it appears to be electrical and no foul play involved. It’s still under investigation.
On September 2, The Heirloom Instagram account shared a hopeful update, noting: “Round two. It’s never easy to start over, maybe even harder the second time, but we believe this town and these people are worth every ounce of our effort.”
A day earlier, Nowell shared the goal to rebuild the hotel, noting in an Instagram post, “Tough days @theheirloom.us What do we do now? The same thing we’ve been doing: Keep Building.”
He also posted an Instagram Reel that gave a look at the fire damage and the first part of the process: “Step 1: Drying Out.”
What a bitter shame. I’m glad that nobody was hurt. I know that you will rebuild it better than ever. God Bless!!!