A nearly 90-year-old Altadena woman who lost her home to the Eaton Fire is going viral for pragmatism and positivity in the face of so much adversity.
Ruth Judkins, a mother and grandmother, lived in her home for 48 years. While she has seen many wildfires in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, she said nothing really prepared her for the firestorm that kicked off on Jan. 7.
“We were a street of 12 houses,” Judkins told KTLA’s John Fenoglio. “Six survived, six burned.”
As the flames approached, ultimately destroying her home, she escaped with only a single change of clothes and her beloved 10-year-old dog named Louie.
“He means the world to me,” she said of her pup. “My children and grandchildren don’t need me as much. He is like my little child.”
At almost 90 years old, the grandmother of four is coping with devastating fire better than most, it would appear.
“I know I don’t need all those things,” Judkins explained. “Everything is going to be downsized. I don’t need two closets full of clothes. I need one.”
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Ruth Judkins, 89, and her dog Louie. (KTLA)
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Ruth Judkins dog Louie, 10. (KTLA)
Her humble take on the loss she experienced has resonated with millions of other people after her granddaughter posted a video on social media.
“I’m going to be simplifying my life because I don’t need all this stuff,” she says in the video.
Not only has she remained positive, but Judkins also says she’s determined to rebuild her home and do it in a sustainable way.
“Everybody who builds a new house should be making sure everything is sustainable and cost-effective,” she explained. “We have to think sustainably. We have to be in the 21st century. No matter how old you are, you should be doing that.”
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Now a role model to many, she explained that she has what she needs and that’s more than enough.
“I’m a very positive person. I think the best of people. I just think that way and figure things out,” she said. “Warriors don’t worry. They figure it out.”
A month shy of her 90th birthday, she said living simpler and helping others is the most important thing.
“I’m just going to do what I can for others around me who have less and still have fun,” she said.
A GoFundMe has been organized by her granddaughter to help Judkins and her sister rebuild after the deadly fires.
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