Major ‘Home Town’ Renovation Project Catches Fire, Spinoff Show in Jeopardy

The fate of one upcoming HGTV series is unknown after the building set to be featured in the show suffered “severe damage” in a fire today.

The Heirloom Hotel in downtown Laurel, Mississippi was partially destroyed this morning after a major fire. The upcoming series Home Town: Inn This Together, a spinoff series of Home Town starring Ben and Erin Napier, was going to revolve around the renovation and operation of the Heirloom.

A report from the Laurel Leader-Call said the fire engulfed the building around 5 a.m., and that firefighters were hard at work suppressing the flames for several hours. The cause of the fire is not yet known, but the Laurel Fire Department is currently investigating.

Just two days ago, the Napiers announced the new series via Instagram Reel. “Our best friends, Jim and Mallory (Rasberry) and Josh (Nowell) … built a dang hotel and we helped them. And so, that’s coming soon. It’s called: Inn This Together,” said Erin Napier in the video.

As of press time, the hotel was already taking reservations in 2026 for the 30+ rooms inside.

The building’s co-owner, Jim Rasberry, was shocked by the news of the fire.

“It’s a tough day,” Rasberry said. “I appreciate the efforts and the commitment of the firefighters who put their lives on the line every day. They were working hard. A lot of guys were doing all they could to keep that fire from spreading and becoming an even bigger issue. So I commend the firefighters who committed to serve this city because they did a good job today.”

In a lengthy Instagram post, Erin Napier shared her feelings on the tragic news and confirmed no one was inside at the time of the fire.

“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,” Napier 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.”

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Leo Brown, chief of Laurel’s fire department, said the hotel’s sprinkler system was disabled at the time of the fire due to upcoming installation of electrical lines in the building.

“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… Very proud of all of our firefighters.”

The town’s Mayor, Johnny Magee, said the news was “devastating.”

“People have waited for it for months, and they were looking forward to it. Everybody is asking ‘when is it going to open, when is it going to open,’” Magee said. “I think they were getting closer, but this is a devastating blow for the city.”

Rasberry was optimistic about the chances of the building’s eventual rebuild: “If God is willing, we’ll do it.”