A 17-year-old Indonesian teenager has captured public attention after joining volunteer firefighters battling wildfires on Borneo island while dressed as Superman.
Rudiyansah, a student from Palangkaraya, has been helping his father and a local volunteer firefighting group tackle smouldering peatland fires during his free time since 2023. This year, he decided to wear a red-and-blue Superman costume while fighting the blazes.
The unusual sight of the teenager using a hose to wet vegetation while wearing a superhero costume quickly went viral, attracting millions of views. Indonesia’s forestry minister subsequently praised him as a “forest hero.”
Rudiyansah said he wears the costume simply for fun but is happy to contribute to the firefighting effort.
> “Honestly, I'm really happy because I can help locals, even though it feels really tiring,” he said.
To protect himself from the flames, the teenager said he wets his costume before entering the fire-affected areas and washes it every night.
Fires worsen across Borneo
Indonesia has been battling severe wildfires that have produced thick smog across parts of Borneo, which the country shares with Malaysia and Brunei.
Rudiyansah’s father, Mulyadi, said this year’s haze has been the worst his volunteer firefighting group has experienced since it was established in 2020. He identified a lack of water as one of the biggest challenges, with wells and other water sources drying up during the drought.
Government figures show that fires burned more than 200,000 hectares of land between January and July, an area roughly three times the size of Jakarta.
The government has responded by deploying additional troops and aircraft to help contain the fires and reduce the spread of smoke, which has also reached Malaysia.
The worsening fire risk has been linked partly to El Niño, a climate pattern that can bring drought conditions to Indonesia. Climate change can intensify such impacts by contributing to warmer ocean and atmospheric conditions.
Despite the difficult conditions, Rudiyansah said he hopes to become a forest ranger in the future. He also urged firefighters and volunteers across Indonesia to remain determined.
“Keep up the spirit in the fight against the flames,” he said.
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