Wisdom of grandma, 90, who lost everything in LA wildfires that puts hysterical stars to shame

An elderly Los Angeles fires victim who lost her home and all her possessions went viral after sharing her inspiring perspective on the tragedy. 

Ruth Judkins, who turns 90 in less than a month, said she plans to 'live simply' after losing everything except a change of clothes and her beloved dog Louie. 

'I know I don’t need all those things,' she told KTLA. 'Everything is going to be downsized. 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 granddaughter, lifestyle blogger Xochitl Renteln, shared an Instagram video of her reaction to losing all her possessions. 

'I'm going to be changing my life and simplifying it,' she said. 'I don't need all this stuff, I know it's not important. 

'I don't mean I won't have fun and enjoy myself, but I won't just go buy stuff and I'll think about it a lot.' 

Ruth's clip was picked up across the nation including by Good Morning America, as she said this week she has been living by her optimistic motto: 'Warriors don't worry. They figure it out.' 

Her words of wisdom stand in stark contrast to a number of Hollywood celebrities who also lost their mansions in the fires, with reality star Heidi Montag sharing a clip of herself weeping after her family home burned down. 

Ruth, a grandmother-of-four, said she had lived in her home in the San Gabriel Mountains area of Los Angeles for 48 years before it burned to the ground in the Eaton Fire. 

In a GoFundMe set up to help Ruth rebuild, her granddaughter described the home 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 had no inclination the fires that began on January 7 would be so much more destructive than previous fires. 

In her longtime neighborhood, Ruth told KTLA on her street of 12 houses that 'six survived, six burned.' 

She said the flames from the Eaton Fire spread rapidly toward her home, leaving her barely any time to evacuate with only her dog and a single change of clothes. 

Escaping with her dog Louie 'meant the world to me', she said this week, as 'my children and grandchildren don’t need me as much. He is like my little child.' 

Despite all of her possessions going up in flames, Ruth said she has seen the crisis as an opportunity to turn over a new leaf, saying she will 'be simplifying my life because I don’t need all this stuff.' 

'I’m a very positive person. I think the best of people. I just think that way and figure things out,' she added. 

As experts predict rebuilding Los Angeles could cost upwards of $150 billion and take over a decade, Ruth called for the devastated area to recover in a sustainable way. 

'Everybody who builds a new house should be making sure everything is sustainable and cost-effective,' she said. 

'We have to think sustainably. We have to be in the 21st century. No matter how old you are, you should be doing that.' 

Despite having to rebuild her life as a near-nonagenarian, 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.'