A fire at a property owned by NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin resulted in two people having to be hospitalized on Sunday night. Officials have since said that one person passed away.
Videos by FanBuzz
According to WSOC-TV, the house sits on the 1100 block of Blacksnake Road near upper Stanley, North Carolina. The fire chief declined to provide details about the two individuals occupying the house, but WSOC-TV reports that neighbors confirmed them to be Hamlin's parents.
Officials have not released the identity of the person who passed away or the one who sustained life-threatening injuries.
The fire occurred Sunday evening. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. According to reports, both occupants of the house were outside when emergency services arrived on scene. They had to be transported to the hospital.
Photo credit: Lucia Riverbend Fire Department
"We are thankful for the multiple agency response and ask that the public be in prayer for the affected family and our first responders in fire, GEMs and police," the Lucia Riverbend Fire Department wrote on Facebook.
Fire Department Chief David Toomey called the house a "total loss" and the Lucia Riverbend Fire Department confirmed this with photos posted on its Facebook page. The images showed the heavily wooded area, the firefighters on the scene, and the house completely engulfed in flames.
"They had some really expensive cars in the garage and some racing memorabilia and stuff, so all that was saved," Toomey told Jordan Bianchi of the Athletic. "We were able to save all that and get it out so it wasn't damaged."
Hamlin, 45, just completed his 20th full-time season at NASCAR's top level. He led the Cup Series with six wins, putting him at 60 all-time. He finished second in the championship standings behind Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson after a late caution derailed his race at Phoenix Raceway.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
