NASCAR Driver Denny Hamlin’s Father Killed, Mother Critically Injured in House Fire

NEED TO KNOW

• Dennis Hamlin, the father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, was killed in a fire at his North Carolina home on Sunday, Dec. 28, authorities said

• Dennis’ wife Mary Lou, 69, was “critically injured” in the blaze

• Denny Hamlin had spoken previously about his father’s battle with a serious illness

Dennis Hamlin, the father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, was killed in a fire at his North Carolina home on Sunday.

Officials confirmed on the evening of Monday, Dec. 29, that Dennis Hamlin, 75, died from injuries he sustained in the fire on Sunday, Dec. 28, Gaston County officials said, according to WCNC and NASCAR, citing the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services. Denny’s mother, 69-year-old Mary Lou Hamlin, was “critically injured” in the blaze, the outlet reported.

Authorities shared that both Dennis and Mary Lou were able to escape the home. Dennis was transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Mary Lou is currently receiving treatment in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The nature of Mary Lou’s injuries were not disclosed, and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

PEOPLE reached out to the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services for more information.

The flames broke out shortly after 6:19 p.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 28, at the home, which Chief David Toomey of the Lucia Riverbend Fire Department confirmed belongs to Hamlin’s parents, NBC affiliate WCNC reported.

Chief Toomey said first responders found 45% of the home fully involved in the fire when they arrived. The home was a total loss, but a number of belongings from inside the home were recovered, he said.

Toomey told The Athletic there were “some really expensive cars in the garage and some racing memorabilia” that were saved and “undamaged.”

The outlet reported that 10 to 15 fire departments responded to the home due to its 3,700 square-foot size, as well as its location in a remote and wooded area without fire hydrants.

It took firefighters more than two hours to extinguish the blaze due to a local water shortage, according to WRAL.

In October, Hamlin told the Associated Press that his 75-year-old father is battling a serious illness during an interview about the sacrifices his parents made for his NASCAR success. Hamlin said his father “always tells me I’m the best, no matter if I win or not, he always says I’m the best.”

Describing his father as “a big hype guy,” Hamlin recalled spending time together “in his garage” over the years. “He’s got all my old memorabilia and it’s just good to reminisce. He’s a reminiscent guy and right now I am just cherishing those hours that I have with them each week,” Hamlin said.

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