Sports icon’s home engulfed in horror inferno as two rushed to hospital in fireplace
The house of a sporting icon went up in flames on Sunday evening as a fire department chief admitted 10 to 15 crews had raced to the scene with two people taken to hospital
An inferno that engulfed a sports icon’s house has seen two people rushed to hospital on Sunday evening (28 December).
Shocking images showed a home owned by Denny Hamlin, a NASCAR star, up in flames as firefighters rushed to the address in North Carolina, USA. However, according to The Athletic, half of the property was already in flames by the time firefighters arrived.
David Toomey, the Lucia Riverbend Fire Department chief, said the home was at a “total loss”. However, expensive cars parked in the garage and Hamlin’s racing memorabilia were able to be saved by the crews in attendance.
Toomey told The Athletic: “They had some really expensive cars in the garage and some racing memorabilia and stuff, so all that was saved.
“We were able to save all that and get it out so it wasn’t damaged.”
He added that 10 to 15 fire departments responded to the scene due to a lack of fire hydrants in the wooded area and both people who went to the hospital were outside the home when emergency services arrived.
The 3,724-square-foot house was built in 2015 and list the owner as Hamlin’s real estate company, Won One Real Estate, who build the property after purchasing the land.
The four-bedroom, three-bath home sits on 1.76 acres and is surrounded by trees.
Hamlin, meanwhile, is one of NASCAR’s greats after making his debut in 2006.
During his career, Hamlin has won the Daytona 500 event three times in 2016, 2019, and 2020 while boasting a net worth of $65million (£48million).
had a great season and finished second in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series standings, losing to champion Kyle Larson by four points, with six race wins and 14 top five finishes.
As well as racing, Hamlin co-owns the 23XI Racing NASCAR team with NBA legend Michael Jordan.
