Russian man rescues American flag at burning California house: The flag means a lot to me and my family

A man from Russia who requested asylum in the United States three years ago gained worldwide admiration for saving an American flag from a house on fire during the wildfires in California.

Sultan Ramazanov was driving through the wildfires in Altadena with a friend on Jan. 7, when he saw a house engulfed in flames.

He said he had never seen a wildfire and was worried about the city he now calls home.

Ramazanov is shown somberly walking away from the burning home, with the flag’s white stars delicately folded and tucked in his arms.

After the rescue, his friend informed him that he had recorded the heroic act on video. Ramazanov chose to post it on Instagram with the aim of reaching out to the homeowners, in the hopes of returning possibly one of their only possessions that survived.

“I just posted it and some guy shared it and said, ‘Look at this, Jason Statham lookalike saved the American flag,’ and it went viral,” he said. “It got 10 million views, and it really helped me to find the family who owned the flag. I’m very thankful 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 a few scam calls from people claiming to be the owners of the home, he finally connected with 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 thankful and said he had been worried about the flag.

The pair plan on meeting over the weekend to make the return and learn each other’s stories.

“It’s our country’s flag, so that’s why I decided to save it,” Ramazanov said. “The United States gave us a lot, and I’m very thankful to this country. I almost [have] my documents here, and I got asylum here. Now, the American flag is also a symbol to me and to my family.”