A Russian man who sought asylum in the United States three years ago has drawn global praise for saving a man American flag From a burning house during the California wildfires.
Sultan Ramazanov was driving through forest fires changed With a friend on January 7, when he saw a house on fire.
He said he had never seen a wildfire before, and was concerned about the city he now called home.
New wildfires are burning in California as the flames continue to spread across Los Angeles
“I've never seen anything like this,” Ramazanov told Fox News Digital. “I had heard about the California wildfires in 2020, but now it was my first time (being near wildfires), and, you know, it was really scary. When I saw how… Palisades fire “When I moved through the mountains, I was really afraid for our city.”
When he saw the symbolic red, white and blue flag near the inferno, he asked his friend to stop.
“I said to my friend: Let me at least save science,” Ramazanov said. “I tried to get it, and it was a little difficult, and it took a few minutes.”
Vehicles and a home burn as strong winds spread devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area, January 8. (Reuters/David Swanson)
The video shows him arriving in the middle of thick black smoke and carefully removing the torn banner from the flagpole in front of the house.
The flag was visibly charred on one side, with a red stripe hanging toward the ground.
Ramazanov is shown walking away from the burning house, the white flag stars neatly folded and held in his arms.
After the rescue, his friend told him he had recorded the heroic act on video, and Ramazanov decided to share it on Instagram in hopes of connecting with the homeowners — and returning what may be one of their only remaining possessions.
Sultan Ramazanov holds the American flag he removed from the 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 “The lookalike saved the American flag,” he said, and it went viral. It's had 10 million views, and it really helped me find the family that owned the flag. “I'm so grateful 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.
While Ramazanov received little Scam calls From people claiming to be the owners of the house, he was finally able to contact its 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 that he was worried about the science.
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The couple plans to meet up over the weekend to go back and learn each other's stories.
“It is the flag of our country, and 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 got asylum here. Now, the American flag has also become a symbol for me and my family.”
