In his first public comments since his father died in a Gaston County house fire this week, NASCAR star driver Denny Hamlin thanked the community Wednesday for its support.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father\u2019s passing,\u201d Hamlin said on the social media site X.<\/p>\n
He also provided a brief update on his mother\u2019s condition after she was badly hurt in the Sunday night fire too. \u201cMy mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time,\u201d Hamlin wrote.<\/p>\n
Dennis Hamlin, 75, died from \u201ccatastrophic injuries\u201d suffered in the fire in Stanley, according to a news release from Gaston County. His 69-year-old mother, Mary Lou, was taken to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center in Winston-Salem, officials said.<\/p>\n
The fire caused a \u201ccomplete structural collapse,\u201d The Charlotte Observer previously reported, citing county officials. Investigators are still determining what caused the fire.<\/p>\n
First responders arrived at the couple\u2019s home in Stanley just before 6:30 p.m., NASCAR.com<\/a> reported. They found the couple outside the four-bedroom home and took them to a hospital.<\/p>\n