{"id":27942,"date":"2026-06-04T09:48:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/?p=27942"},"modified":"2026-06-04T09:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:48:21","slug":"the-fire-was-just-the-beginning-now-the-insurance-battle-threatens-to-destroy-everything-after-the-devastating-blaze-that-almost-consumed-the-dream-behind-home-town-inn-t","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/?p=27942","title":{"rendered":"\u201cTHE FIRE WAS JUST THE BEGINNING \u2014 NOW THE INSURANCE BATTLE THREATENS TO DESTROY EVERYTHING.\u201d After the devastating blaze that almost consumed the dream behind Home Town: Inn This Together, Ben and Erin Napier, along with Jim and Mallorie Rasberry and Josh and Emily Nowell, are revealing the grueling reality that came after the flames: a slow, frustrating, and emotionally exhausting fight with the insurance company. Fans thought the biggest challenge was the fire itself, but weeks and months later, the group says rebuilding the beloved Heirloom Hotel in Laurel has been made far harder by bureaucratic delays, unexpected setbacks, and mounting uncertainty. As the Napier family pours their hearts into restoring the historic landmark, emotions are running high \u2014 and viewers are rallying online, desperate to see this corner of downtown saved before it\u2019s too late\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-70385d72\">\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-579e5b87 post-hero-text\">\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-3df17eda\">\n<h1 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-56c7eb13 gb-headline-text\">Heirloom Hotel Owners Open Up About Insurance Challenges After Devastating Fire<\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"td-animation-stack-type0-2\" src=\"https:\/\/bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com\/leader-call.com\/content\/tncms\/assets\/v3\/editorial\/1\/70\/1706e1ce-4628-495b-85fa-578a03b20455\/68ae089daf3ee.image.jpg\" alt=\"HEIRLOOM UP IN FLAMES | News | leader-call.com\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"page\" class=\"site grid-container container hfeed\">\n<div id=\"content\" class=\"site-content\">\n<div id=\"primary\" class=\"content-area\"><main id=\"main\" class=\"site-main\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-3\"><\/div>\n<article id=\"post-5827061\" class=\"post-5827061 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-hgtv\">\n<div class=\"inside-article\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHome Town: Inn This Together\u201d documented the transformation of a historic department store in Laurel, Mississippi, into The Heirloom Hotel. But just as the project neared its opening, a fire broke out, causing significant damage to the property owned by Jim and Mallorie Rasberry, Josh and Emily Nowell, and HGTV stars Ben and Erin Napier.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-4\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"h-jim-rasberry-amp-josh-nowell-give-update-about-the-insurance-delay-following-heirloom-hotel-fire\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jim Rasberry &amp; Josh Nowell Give Update About the Insurance Delay Following Heirloom Hotel Fir<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-youtube-com\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Play\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W-OvSV8E3dE?autoplay=1\" width=\"100%\" height=\"315\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-origwidth=\"100%\" data-origheight=\"315\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the May 30 episode of \u201cThe Heirloom\u201d podcast, Jim Rasberry and Josh Nowell discussed the finale of \u201cHome Town: Inn This Together,\u201d which showed the hotel fire in the final moments of the episode.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-5\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the plan is to rebuild, Rasberry and Nowell shared that the insurance claim process has been slow moving.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rasberry said, \u201cInsurance is good to have, but it\u2019s also the process of going through that is very difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s not easy,\u201d he noted. \u201cWe do have insurance, but you know what? There\u2019s a lot more time and energy and effort and money that goes into something than what an insurance policy would ever cover.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He added, \u201cBut that\u2019s neither here nor there. The point is that every day, there\u2019s a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They also shared some thoughts on perspective since the devastating fire. Rasberry explained, \u201cBrick and mortar and all that stuff doesn\u2019t matter. Doesn\u2019t matter. I mean, we\u2019ll figure it out and we\u2019re going to get through it. By God\u2019s grace and will, we\u2019ll get through it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut the things that matter in life, that\u2019s really where I need to be hyperfocused,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many fans are wondering when The Heirloom Hotel will open, but there\u2019s no clear date just yet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nowell shared, \u201cWe don\u2019t know the future, but we know that we\u2019ve been building in downtown Laurel for 20 years. And we\u2019ve been doing it not for the financial gains because they are, as Jim explained earlier, very small. We do it because we believe in our place. We were born here. We live here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He continued, \u201cWe want to make it better. That\u2019s what this has all been about for us. And so we don\u2019t have an option but to keep building. That\u2019s what we\u2019re going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe just know that no matter what happens, that\u2019s kind of what we\u2019ve been called to do in our hometown \u2014 to keep building. So that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to keep doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n<h2 id=\"h-ben-napier-shares-latest-update-on-the-insurance-post-fire\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ben Napier Shares Latest Update on the Insurance Post-Fire<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div id=\"072b05b0d335444e02ee1fb2d752e653\" class=\"embed_container\">\n<div class=\"lazy-embed lazy-embed--ssr embed-instagram-com lazy-embed--loaded\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DZCzEsGOvQS\/\"><iframe id=\"instagram-embed-0\" class=\"instagram-media instagram-media-rendered\" src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DZCzEsGOvQS\/embed\/captioned\/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=656&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fentertainmentnow.com&amp;rp=%2Fhgtv%2Fheirloom-hotel-owners-insurance-update-fire%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A984652.8999999762%7D\" height=\"817\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-instgrm-payload-id=\"instagram-media-payload-0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-origwidth=\"\" data-origheight=\"817\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On June 1, Ben Napier took to Instagram to reflect on the finale of \u201cHome Town: Inn This Together,\u201d giving an update on the insurance delay since the fire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLast night\u2019s episode was bittersweet,\u201d he wrote in the caption. \u201cOur friends worked so unbelievably hard, and we have never been more proud to be their friends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe fire shocked everyone. It has felt like a death of a loved one in the community,\u201d he continued. \u201cIt has been nearly a year since the fire, and our friends are STILL waiting on @libertymutual to complete the claim.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe don\u2019t know what the future holds, but we know God holds us. Thanks for watching the biggest thing to happen in downtown Laurel in a long time,\u201d the HGTV star added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Heirloom Hotel Owners Open Up About Insurance Challenges After Devastating Fire &nbsp; \u201cHome Town: Inn This Together\u201d documented the transformation of a historic department store in Laurel,&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27943,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27942"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27944,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27942\/revisions\/27944"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}