Russian rescues American flag outside burning house in Altadena, California.
Three years ago, a Russian asylum seeker in the United States sparked international acclaim for rescuing an American flag from a house burned by wildfires in California.
On January 7, Sultan Ramazanov was driving through a wildfire in Altadena with his friend, when he saw a house on fire.
He said he has never seen a wildfire before and is worried about the city he now calls home.
As the fire continues in Los Angeles, new wild animals have erupted in California
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Ramazanov told Fox News Digital. “I heard about the California fires in 2020, but now was my first time[being near a fire]and you know, it was really scary. When I saw how the Palisades Fire was moving through the mountains, I was really scared. Our city.”
Looking at the symbolic red, white, and blue flag by the fire, he asked his friend to pull him over.
“I told my friend, ‘At least put the flag,'” Ramazanov said.
In the Los Angeles area, on Jan. 8, vehicles and a house burn as powerful storms spread devastating wildfires. (Reuters/David Swanson)
In the video, he was seen carefully removing the tattered banner from the flagpole in front of the house in a puff of heavy, black smoke.
The flag was drawn prominently on one side, with a red line hanging down to the ground.
California Wilders: Important phone numbers for Los Angeles-area residents and how to help them
Ramazanov is seen walking away from a burning house with the white stars of the banner delicately folded and washed in his hands.
After the rescue, his friend told him that he had taken a heroic step on video, and Ramazanov decided to share it on Instagram, hoping to meet the owners of the house – to return one of their remaining possessions.
Sultan Ramazanov holds an American flag he removed from a flagpole in front of a burning house in Altadena, California during the wildfire. (Newsflare)
“I just posted it and someone shared it and said, ‘Look at this, it looks like Jason Statham saved the American flag,’ and it went viral,” he said. “It got 10 million views, and it helped me find the family that held the flag. Thank you so much to the people who shared the video.”
As of Wednesday night, the post had more than 270,000 likes and nearly 30,000 shares on the platform.
After Ramazanov received a few scam calls from people claiming to be the owners of the house, he finally met the owner, a 74-year-old man.
A damaged store after the Eaton fire in Altadena, California on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
He said that he was very grateful to Ramazanov and that he was worried about the flag.
Click here to access the FOX NEWS app
The couple plans to meet over the weekend to make their comeback and learn each other’s stories.
“It is the flag of our country, so that’s why I decided to save it,” said Ramazanov. “The United States has given us a lot, and I am very grateful to this country. I almost have my documents here, and I got asylum here. Now the American flag is a symbol for me and my family.”