Centenarians who escaped the Eaton Fire in Altadena honored with celebration

By Leanne Suter

Click here for updates on this story

    ALTADENA, California (KABC) — A group of centenarians who survived the Eaton Fire was honored on Wednesday.

It was a celebration 100 years in the making at the MonteCedro Retirement Community in Altadena as they honored five centenarians — which is the name for a person 100 years old or older.

Two of the honorees marked their 101st birthdays.

“Never thought about it. It just kept happening year after year,” said 101-year-old Jean Bruce Poole.

Bruce Poole and Helen Devore are also both World War II veterans, serving on opposite sides of the pond.

“I was in the British Navy. I was a Wren. We were called Wrens because of Women’s Royal Naval Service,” Bruce Poole said.

“When I was 20 years old, I went in the Navy,” 101-year-old Helen Devore said. “WWII was on, and I was very patriotic.”

Devore still has her original navy uniform and photos of her boot camp class.

Both women went on to marry, have children, and travel the world. Their lives have been full of adventures.

The Eaton Fire is another chapter in their well-lived lives… one they won’t forget.

Especially Bruce Poole, who was found after her complex had been evacuated. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office bodycam video shows deputies coming to her aid in the dark building.

“Eventually, I heard voices, and that was the sheriff’s deputies, and they kindly took me to the senior center,” Bruce Poole said. “So I was rescued!”

“It was a very traumatic experience, and all of us suffered from that,” Devore said.

On Wednesday night, both women kicked up their heels out on the dance floor.

Devore isn’t the only centenarian in her family. Her brother, Fred, is 105 years old.

As the two spry seniors celebrate another major milestone, they offer the same advice for anyone following in their footsteps.

“Have fun. Live it like it’s the last day. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, as best you can,” Devore said.

“Keep going, enjoy life, and have fun,” Bruce Poole said.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.