HGTV's Erin And Ben Napier Reveal Devastating Loss In 'Home Town' Community

For years now, audiences have followed Erin and Ben Napier as they brought new life to historical homes all over Laurel, Mississippi. Dedicated fans often keep lists of the gorgeous design ideas they want to steal from HGTV's "Home Town." The show is associated with nothing but joy and fulfillment, but recent events have put a dent on the Napiers' quaint small-town living. The Heirloom Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Laurel, which was set to be the focus of a new "Home Town" spin-off titled "Inn This Together," was affected by a fire in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Aug. 26. 

The show was set to follow the popular HGTV couple and their long-time friends Jim and Mallorie Rasberry and Josh and Emily Nowell as they bought and flipped the historic Kress building into a boutique hotel. It had been officially announced by the network just days before the devastating incident. Erin shared news of the fire on social media, describing the loss as a "funeral." "I don't know what will happen next or if you'll ever get to see this HGTV show now," she admitted, adding, "Pray for my friends and family, please."

The newly renovated Heirloom Hotel had been preparing for a 2026 opening and was about to start accepting reservations when the fire broke out on Tuesday. According to local news channel WLBT, the flames first erupted on the top floor and caused water damage in the rest of the building. Laurel Fire Chief Earl Reed told the network that there was "major, major damage to the hotel," and confirmed that there were no people or neighboring properties harmed in the incident.

Built in 1930, the 25,000-square-foot building once served as one of many S.H. Kress & Company five-and-dime department stores across the country, but was now well on its way to becoming a dream come true for the Napiers, the Rasberrys, and the Nowells. The latter two couples bought the property while the fan-favorite HGTV stars helped restore it, contributing the expertise that has besotted so many "Home Town" viewers. According to the hotel's website, the project took 18 months, every bit of which was captured by the HGTV crew for an exciting new show. 

The Napiers have ventured outside of domestic renovations before with projects like the stunning "Home Town" renovation that converted a house into a restaurant in season 4 of the show, but tackling an entire hotel was uncharted territory. The Heirloom featured 30 rooms, a cooking school, and a store on the ground floor, but the future is looking uncertain now. On the hotel's official Instagram page, the group insisted that they "are determined to keep going, whatever it takes," while fans are taking over Erin's comments, urging HGTV to follow that journey too.