Wisdom of grandma, 90, who lost everything in LA wildfires that puts hysterical stars to shame
An elderly Los Angeles fire victim lost her home and all her belongings going viral after she shared her inspiring take on the tragedy.
Ruth Judkins, who turns 90 in less than a month, said she plans to “live simply” after losing everything but a change of clothes and her beloved dog Louie.
“I know I don’t need any of that stuff,” she said KTL. ‘Everything is going to be cut back. I don’t need two closets full of clothes. I need one.”
Ruth’s positive outlook went viral on social media this week after her lifestyle blogger granddaughter Xochitl Rentelnshared an Instagram video of her reaction to losing all her belongings.
“I’m going to change and simplify my life,” she said. ‘I don’t need all this stuff, I know it’s not important.
“I don’t mean I’m not going to have fun and enjoy myself, but I’m not going to just buy things and think about it a lot.”
Ruth’s clip was picked up across the country, including by Good Morning America, as she said this week that she lives by her optimistic motto: “Warriors don’t worry.” They’ll find out.’
Her words of wisdom are in stark contrast to those of a number of Hollywood celebrities who also lost their mansions in the fires, with reality star Heidi Montag sharing a video of herself crying after her family home burned down.
Ruth Judkins, who turns 90 in less than a month, went viral after sharing her inspiring take on how she’s coping with the loss of all her belongings in the Los Angeles fires.
Ruth, a grandmother of four, said she lived in her home in Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Mountains for 48 years before it burned to the ground in the Eaton Fire.
In one GoFundMe set up to help Ruth rebuild, her granddaughter described the house as “not just a structure; it was a place filled with generations of laughter, love and memories.”
She said she had seen many wildfires in the area over the years, but didn’t think the fires that started on Jan. 7 would be that much more destructive than previous fires.
In her old neighborhood, Ruth told KTLA on her 12-house street, “six survived and six burned down.”
She said the flames from the Eaton Fire quickly spread to her home, leaving her barely time to evacuate with only her dog and a single change of clothes.
The escape with her dog Louie “meant the world to me,” she said this week, because “my children and grandchildren don’t need me as much.” He’s like my little child.’

Ruth was forced to evacuate when the Eaton Fire broke out near her home, and she said she escaped with just a single change of clothes and her beloved dog Louie.

Ruth’s wise words are in stark contrast to some Hollywood celebrities’ reaction to the fires, with reality star Heidi Montag seen crying after her family home burned down.

Ruth went viral on social media this week after her granddaughter, lifestyle blogger Xochitl Renteln (pictured), shared an Instagram video of her reaction to losing all her belongings

Ruth, a grandmother of four, said she lived in her home (pictured) in Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Mountains for 48 years before it burned to the ground in the Eaton Fire.
Despite all her belongings going up in flames, Ruth said she saw the crisis as an opportunity to forge a new path. She said she would “simplify my life because I don’t need all this stuff.”
‘I am a very positive person. I think the best of people. I just think like that and figure things out,” she added.
With experts predicting that rebuilding Los Angeles could cost more than $150 billion and take more than a decade, Ruth called for the devastated area to be restored in a sustainable way.
“Anyone building a new home needs to make sure everything is sustainable and cost-effective,” she said.
‘We have to think sustainably. We need to be in the 21st century. No matter how old you are, you should do that.”
Despite having to rebuild her life as an almost adult, Ruth said she is determined to continue living her life to the fullest.
“I’m just going to do what I can for others around me who have less and still have fun.”