Indonesian teenager Rudiyansah has captured attention by wearing his favourite superhero’s costume while helping firefighters battle devastating wildfires across the island of Borneo.
The 17-year-old has been helping his father fight fires since 2023, using his free time after school to assist a local volunteer firefighting group in Palangkaraya.
This year, however, Rudiyansah decided to put on a bright red and blue Superman costume while heading into the fire-hit areas.
The unusual sight quickly went viral on social media, with a video showing the teenager using a hose to wet vegetation as firefighters worked to contain the flames. The video has attracted millions of views, while Indonesia’s forestry minister has dubbed him a “forest hero.”
Rudiyansah told AFP that wearing the Superman outfit was simply “for fun,” but he was happy to help people in his community despite the exhausting conditions.
“I’m really happy because I can help locals, even though it feels really tiring,” he said.
The teenager also revealed that he slightly wets his costume before entering the fields to reduce the risk of it catching fire. He washes it every night to keep it clean.
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‘Normal kid’ at home
Rudiyansah’s father, Mulyadi, said his son is just a normal teenager at home.
However, whenever Mulyadi leaves to fight fires, Rudiyansah asks if he can come along.
Mulyadi said this year’s haze has been the worst his volunteer firefighting group has experienced since it was established in 2020.
The biggest challenge facing the firefighters is a lack of water, with wells and other water sources drying up amid 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 Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta.
The figure is already higher than the areas affected during the 2019 and 2023 El Niño seasons.
The Indonesian government has deployed additional troops and aircraft to help contain the fires and the thick smoke, which has also spread into Malaysia.
El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon that can bring drought conditions and increase wildfire risks in Indonesia. Climate change can further intensify its effects by contributing to hotter and more extreme weather conditions.
Rudiyansah, who dreams of becoming a forest ranger, urged firefighters and volunteers across Indonesia to remain determined.
“To volunteers and firefighters across Indonesia, keep up the spirit in the fight against the flames,” he said.
