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The mother of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin made an emotional plea this week for increased fire department funding to Gaston County officials after he nearly lost his life in a North Carolina fire that killed her husband in December.
Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, gave a harrowing account of the Dec. 28 house fire that killed her husband, Dennis Hamlin, 75, and reduced the family home to ruins.
Denny Hamlin watches before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
“I’m sorry, I was trying not to cry,” Mary Lou Hamlin said through tears while speaking before the Gaston County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
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“December 28 was one of the saddest days of my life. It was the last time I saw my husband of 52 years when I carried him out of our burning house. Besides losing my husband, I lost everything in my life.”
Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin were found outside the two-story home near Stanley, suffering from what officials at the time called catastrophic injuries. Dennis Hamlin later died from his injuries at a hospital, while his wife was taken to a specialized hospital in Winston-Salem to be treated for her burns.
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“I didn’t understand at the time that the fire trucks were there, but the water wasn’t,” Mary Lou Hamlin continued Tuesday.
“There was no water to put out my house. I am advocating for funding to be included in this year’s budget: emergency response training, additional equipment, staffing, as you just heard, are just a few of the things to help strengthen fire protection in our area, where funds are desperately needed.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Progressive Toyota, exits his car after the NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
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Denny Hamlin’s sister, Lisa Chapman, also appeared before the board, recalling her surprise upon arriving at the scene.
“There’s nothing worse than coming to the house on fire and seeing everyone standing in the street,” she said through tears. “You don’t throw water on a fire.”
