House fire that killed Denny Hamlin's father ruled accidental; exact cause unknown

The December house fire that claimed the life of NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin's father Dennis Hamlin has been ruled accidental, but the exact cause remains unknown.

A final incident report was issued Friday following an investigation by Gaston County Fire Services. It noted that the heat source, type of material ignited, first item ignited, and the cause of the ignition were undetermined. The fire resulted in an estimated $776,360 in property loss. Racing memorabilia and some of Hamlin’s classic cars were saved.

The home had been purchased by Hamlin for his parents, Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin. The fire occurred on Dec. 28 in Stanley, North Carolina.

Dennis, who had a chronic lung condition, was 75 years old.

“I got a call from my sister that said that the parents’ house is on fire, and she said the whole house is gone,” Hamlin told Fox Sports in a segment for the Daytona 500 broadcast. “My mom took him from the bedroom to outside on the front yard. I was just driving so fast to try to get there, and they said they had already been taken to a hospital.

“What made it real for me was seeing my dad. When I saw him lying there after he had passed, I knew that it was real in that moment, and obviously, I saw how burned he was. At that time, I felt for my mom. She saw it all first hand.”

Mary Lou was critically injured in the fire but continues to recover. She was in attendance with her son for the Daytona 500.