A man who was seen riding through smoke and flying embers in the Pacific Palisades attempting to flee with as many of his belongings as possible was reunited with two of his beloved paintings Thursday.
NBC4’s Robert Kovacik offered to keep the Pacific Palisades homeowner’s artwork safe as he evacuated the deadly flames on a bicycle on Jan. 7.
Francois Auroux fled his home on Sunset Boulevard as the destructive Palisades Fire began to spread rapidly.
“That's when I decided to get out and luckily I saw you, and I’m just really appreciative of that," said Auroux. “That night was insane. And bumping into you and offering to take them off my hands is something I can’t imagine."
The paintings are some of the only contents that remain of Auroux's Pacific Palisades home, the only home he has known for the last 39 years.
The artwork, painted by famous Greek artist Alekos Fassianos, now serves as a beacon of hope for Auroux and his family.
“Getting these back means so much to my family, they're memories for us,” Francois said. “I think it's going to be hard for any of our family to be looking forward at this point but I mean it's just this little glimmer of hope for us."
Local
It was later discovered that one of those pieces was titled "Man on a Bicycle," which is who was seen escaping the Palisades Fire that frightening night.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
After accepting the help, Auroux recited his number to Kovacik, usually something that is not advised while on live television, but Francois was pleasantly surprised.
“I looked at my phone and I saw hundreds of text messages from people all over LA saying 'Just making sure everything was okay,'” Francois said. “I have had people reach out to me from Greece, France, Los Angeles, all over the United States. It's just been touching.”