Seventeen-year-old Rudiansah has joined efforts to fight severe wildfires on Indonesia’s Borneo island, wearing a red-and-blue Superman costume while spraying water on vegetation and burning peatland. He works with a local volunteer firefighting team established by his father, Muliadi, near Palangkaraya. The report was published on August 23, 2026.

Rudiansah said he has helped his father after school since 2023, but chose the costume this year to encourage public attention and motivation. A video of him handling a hose spread widely on social media and was viewed millions of times. Indonesia’s forestry minister later called him a “forest hero.” His father described this year’s haze as the worst seen since the volunteer team was formed in 2020.

The Indonesian government said more than 200,000 hectares burned from January through July, about three times Jakarta’s area. Water shortages caused by prolonged drought have complicated firefighting, while haze has reached neighbouring Malaysia. The government has ordered additional troops and aircraft deployed. Rudiansah, who hopes to become a forest ranger, urged firefighters and volunteers across Indonesia not to lose morale.