In a tragic turn of events, the father of NASCAR star Denny Hamlin has passed away due to a devastating house fire in North Carolina. Officials have confirmed that his mother sustained critical injuries during the incident, which unfolded late Sunday afternoon.

The blaze erupted around 6 p.m. in a residence located roughly 30 minutes northwest of Charlotte, leaving the community in shock. Initial reports from the scene indicated that someone was trapped inside the burning home. By Monday, Gaston County EMS confirmed the heartbreaking news of a fatality resulting from the fire.

The victim has been identified as 75-year-old Dennis Hamlin. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin’s mother, 69-year-old Mary Lou Hamlin, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, leaving the NASCAR community and fans deeply saddened by the news.

The victim was later identified as 75-year-old Dennis Hamlin. Denny Hamlin’s mother, Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, was critically injured in the fire. 

Authorities said both of the Hamlins escaped the fire but suffered catastrophic injuries. Dennis Hamlin died at the hospital. Mary Lou Hamlin is being treated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 

The fire resulted in the complete loss of the home, according to the Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department. It took around two hours to put out the fire due to a lack of water in the area. 

Gaston County officials said the investigation is ongoing. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Hamlin has not commented on the situation. He has 60 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, tying him for 10th on the series’ all-time win list. After hitting the 60-win milestone at Las Vegas in October, he noted how special it felt to win for his father, who was in poor health at the time. He told the Associated Press later that month that he believed 2025 was his last opportunity to win a championship while his father was alive.

Multiple Gaston County fire departments responded to the area to assist the Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department. 

Neighbors described a chaotic scene as sirens cut through the quiet community.

“We were eating dinner and we heard fire trucks go by,” said Brent Hager, who lives nearby. “There were five or six fire trucks from here to there… volunteer crews parked in the driveway.”

Another neighbor said seeing the fire in person was overwhelming.

“It’s devastating. I was horrified last night for them,” the neighbor said. “To see it in person, the whole house going down.”

Firefighters faced added challenges because there are no fire hydrants in the area. Crews had to truck in water, a process that slowed efforts to control the fire.

“It took roughly two hours to bring the fire under control,” an official said. “Due to the lack of water, we had to truck all of the water in.”

Neighbors said the lack of hydrants is a reality of living in a rural area.

The home was a total loss, officials said. Despite the damage, firefighters were able to save some racing memorabilia and collectibles from inside the home.