Overview
- Hamlin posted on Dec. 31, thanking people for condolences and saying his mother continues to improve after transfer to a Winston-Salem burn center.
- Officials confirmed Dennis Hamlin, 75, died of injuries after he and his wife, Mary Lou, escaped the Stanley, N.C., house and were transported to a hospital.
- The fire was reported around 6:19 p.m. on Dec. 28, and crews arrived to find 40–45% of the structure involved before declaring the home a total loss.
- Roughly 10–15 departments responded and trucked in water due to a lack of hydrants at the remote, wooded property, with suppression taking more than two hours.
- Authorities say the cause remains under investigation, as NASCAR and members of the racing community publicly extended condolences to the Hamlin family.