A Russian man who sought asylum in the US three years ago sparked worldwide praise for saving one American flag from a burning house during the California wildfires.
Sultan Ramazanov rode through the forest fires Altered with a friend on Jan. 7 when he saw a house in flames.
He said he had never seen a forest fire and was concerned about the town he now calls home.
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“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Ramazanov told Fox News Digital. “I heard about the California fires in 2020, but now it was my first time (near a wildfire), and you know, it was really scary. When I saw how the Palisades Fire When I went through the mountains, I was really afraid for our city.”
When he saw the symbolic red-white-blue flag near the inferno, he asked his friend to stop.
“I said to my friend, ‘At least let me save the flag,’” Ramazanov said. “I tried to get it, and it was a little difficult, it took a few minutes.”
Vehicles and a house burn as powerful winds spread devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area, January 8. (Reuters/David Swanson)
In the video, he can be seen stretching amid heavy black smoke as he carefully unhooks the shredded banner from a flagpole in front of the house.
The flag was visibly charred on one side, with a red stripe dangling toward the ground.
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Ramazanov is shown somberly walking away from the burning house, with the white stars of the flag delicately folded and tucked into his arms.
After the rescue, his friend told him he had captured the heroic action on video, and Ramazanov decided to share it on Instagram in hopes of connecting with the homeowners and returning one of their only remaining possessions.
Sultan Ramazanov carries an American flag that he removed from a flagpole in front of a burning house in Altadena, California during the wildfires. (Newsflare)
“I just posted it and someone shared it and said, ‘Look at this, Jason Statham lookalike saved the American flag,’ and it went viral,’ he said. ‘It got ten million views and it really helped me find the family who owned the flag. I am very grateful to the people who shared the video.”
As of Wednesday evening, the post had more than 270,000 likes and nearly 30,000 shares on the platform.
While Ramazanov received a few scam calls from people claiming to be the owners of the house, he eventually came into contact with the owner, a 74-year-old man.
A destroyed store after the Eaton fire, Tuesday, in Altadena, California. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
He told Ramazanov that he was very grateful and said he was concerned about the flag.
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The pair plan to meet this weekend to return and learn each other’s stories.
“It is the flag of our country, so that is why I decided to save it,” Ramazanov said. “The United States has given us a lot, and I am very grateful to this country. I almost have my documents here, and I have been given asylum here. Now the American flag is also a symbol for me and my family.”
