It's a miracle the driver made it out alive because the flames were towering before firefighters hosed down his SUV in a California shopping plaza parking lot.

Minutes earlier, a man can be seen on video shouting at the driver to get out of the vehicle before it burst into flames, but no one emerged.

The stranger, worried about the threat as black smoke billowed from the car, pulled the driver from the front seat, dragging his unconscious body along the pavement in a daring rescue.

The sheriff's department is working on getting him a plaque to honor him from his bravery.

(WATCH the video from Inside Edition) —Hail the Rescue… Share it!