Erin Napier recently turned 40, but it wasn’t the joyous celebration she had hoped for.

The beloved HGTV host opened up about her milestone birthday following the devastating fire that destroyed the Heirloom Hotel.

Erin Napier Birthday

The “Home Town” star turned 40 on August 30, 2025, just days after the horrific fire.

During a June 7 episode of “The Heirloom Podcast”, however, Erin and her husband, Ben Napier, joined Heirloom Hotel owners to share their memories of Erin’s special day.

“I don’t know if you want to leave all this in there, but the fire happens,” Ben recalled. “A close member of the extended family goes into the hospital, and nobody really knows what’s going on. Erin’s parents chose to have their dog put down that week, and then Erin’s turning 40.”

According to Erin, her best friend and Heirloom owner, Mallorie Rasberry, “volunteered to host my 40th birthday party.”

She added, “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.’ 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 — who have been connected since college and beyond — acknowledged that being together in celebration, helped ease the pain of losing their beloved hotel.

“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,” co-owner Josh Nowell said. “And so, that was pretty special to have friends and just to be around each other.”

Heirloom Hotel Fire

The Napier’s HGTV spinoff series, “Home Town: Inn This Together,” documented the restoration of the hotel before the August fire. In the months since the blaze, the owners, along with the Napiers and their fans, have been pleading with the insurance company to “do the right thing” and approve the claim.

Erin took to social media following the season finale to share a public plea to Liberty Mutual.

“I am writing on behalf of my friends who own The Heirloom Hotel in Laurel, Mississippi. You may have seen this hotel on the HGTV show, ‘Home Town,’” 11-year-old Amos Sledge wrote in a letter to the insurance company, which Erin shared via Instagram.

He continued, “This show has not only affected the small town of Laurel, but has changed the lives of many across the nation. What you may not know is that this gorgeous hotel burned to the ground late last year. Liberty Mutual is their insurance company.”

As of publication, Liberty Mutual has yet to approve the insurance claim for the Heirloom Hotel.

Despite hardship and loss, the owners revealed that they will not be setting up a GoFundMe to help raise money.

“Thank you for caring enough, understanding what a fire does to people financially. That meant and means so much to us,” Nowell explained. “Our first thought would be find someone in your community who has suffered with fire or loss and fund them, help them. We are grateful for that and I think that would go a lot further in your own community.”