Investigators: Hamlin house fire was accidental, started in a bedroom

STANLEY, N.C. – The house fire that killed NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin’s father has been ruled accidental. A large fire broke out at the home Blacksnake Drive three days after Christmas.

Hamlin’s mother, Mary Lou Hamlin, was seriously hurt in the fire.

According to a report from the Gaston County Emergency Management & Fire Services, the fire originated in a bedroom, but it is still unclear how it started.

The entire home was destroyed, causing more than $776,000 worth of damage.