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Erin Napier is questioning the future of her new HGTV series after a devastating fire. 

Last week, the network announced that Erin and her husband Ben Napier would star in the new Home Town spinoff series Home Town: Inn This Together. The show would follow the couple as they helped their friends turn an old commercial building in downtown Laurel, Mississippi, into a new hotel and dining destination. But on Tuesday, the just-finished hotel went up in flames, throwing the future of the business and the show into question. 

“After so much celebration last week, today my best friends [Mallorie Rasberry], Jim [Rasberry], and [Joshua Nowell] lost their labor of love, their dream, @theheirloom.us hotel in an early morning fire. Before they ever even welcomed the first guest,” Erin shared on Instagram on August 26. 

‘Home Town’ star Erin Napier says it’s ‘hard to explain’ how devastating hotel fire is

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Fortunately, no one was inside when the fire broke out on the building’s top floor. But the damage was extensive. Not only will the hotel be unable to open to visitors as planned, but it’s unclear how the disaster will affect the premiere of Home Town: Inn This Together, which was scheduled to air sometime in 2026.

“Today feels like a funeral. But I know these people. They won’t give up here. 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,” Erin wrote. “Pray for my friends and family, please. It is hard to explain how this reverberates through our town and its progress in many ways.”

Cause of fire under investigation 

The fire at the former Kress Building broke out shortly after 5 a.m. on Tuesday, according to a report from the Laurel Leader-Call. It took firefighters several hours to get the blaze under control. As of now, there’s no word on what caused the fire, though Laurel Fire Department Chief Leo Brown said it was possible the sprinkler system had been disabled because people were doing electrical work on the building’s top floor. 

“Everything is under preliminary investigation right now,” Brown said. “That’s all I can tell you right now. We’re doing hot spots and an overhaul now.”

While the extent of the damage isn’t yet clear, the team behind The Heirloom Hotel is grieving what was lost while also looking at the future. 

“The weight of this reality is hard to put into words. It’s not about the loss of wood, brick, or paint. It’s about the grief we feel for the countless hands that have worked tirelessly over the past year, breathing life back into this 25,000 square foot space … Today is heavy, but we still hold our heads up with hope,” read an update on the hotel’s Instagram. “We are determined to keep going, whatever it takes. For our neighbors, for our children and theirs, for the generations yet to walk these streets, we will persevere. We can’t thank you enough for your support as we navigate this unexpected misfortune.”

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