Overview
- The fire was reported at 6:19 p.m. on Dec. 28 in Stanley, Gaston County, where crews arrived to find a two‑story home largely engulfed.
- Dennis Hamlin, 75, died at a hospital while Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, was transferred to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center in Winston‑Salem.
- With no nearby hydrants, firefighters trucked in water as roughly 10–15 departments battled the blaze, and the house was declared a total loss.
- Officials said about 40%–45% of the structure was burning on arrival, and responders removed expensive cars and racing memorabilia from the garage.
- Records list the owner as Won One Real Estate managed by Denny Hamlin; investigators have not determined a cause, and Hamlin has not issued a public statement.