A serious house fire broke out on the evening of Sunday, December 28, at a home in Stanley, North Carolina — a property long associated with the family of NASCAR star Denny Hamlin. Emergency crews rushed to the scene after receiving reports of heavy flames, only to find a large portion of the house already engulfed in fire.
Firefighters arrived to intense conditions, with flames spreading rapidly through the structure. Officials later said nearly half of the home was burning when crews first reached the property. The situation was made more difficult by the home’s rural location, where there were no nearby fire hydrants available for immediate use, forcing firefighters to transport water using tanker trucks.
Multiple fire departments from surrounding areas responded to help control the blaze. After nearly two hours of nonstop firefighting, the fire was finally contained, but the home was declared a total loss.
Initially, two people were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Authorities later confirmed that one of the two injured individuals has died from their injuries, and the other remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
The fatality has since been identified as Dennis Hamlin, the 75‑year‑old father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin. Dennis died from injuries sustained in the fire. His wife, Mary Lou Hamlin, was transferred to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center in Winston‑Salem, where she is actively being treated.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and officials have said it may take time before definitive answers are available.
Despite the extensive damage to the home, firefighters were able to save several valuable items from a garage on the property. These reportedly included high‑value vehicles and personal racing memorabilia connected to Hamlin’s NASCAR career, offering a small measure of relief amid the destruction.
News of the incident quickly spread through the local community and the racing world, with many expressing concern and support for the Hamlin family. Denny Hamlin himself has not yet issued a public statement about the tragedy.
While the loss of the home and the death of Dennis Hamlin are devastating, the outpouring of support highlights the close‑knit nature of the NASCAR community during times of hardship.
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