Teenager in Superman suit fighting forest fires becomes new hero in Indonesia

Rudiyansyah, a 17-year-old from Palangkaraya, Indonesia, has become a local hero for his unique approach to combating devastating forest fires: wearing a Superman costume.

Rudiyansyah has been a volunteer firefighter since 2023, joining a group founded by his father to tackle blazes in and around his city on the Indonesian part of Borneo. This year, he decided to don a Superman suit while on duty, a move that has since captured national and international attention.

A video of the teenager in his red and blue costume against a backdrop of scorched earth has gone viral. His efforts, amplified by the striking visual, are helping to draw much-needed focus to the widespread forest fires. Indonesia's Minister of Forestry has already bestowed upon him the title of "forest hero."

Rudiyansyah, described by his father as "a very ordinary boy," dreams of becoming a forest ranger. "I am very happy because I can help people," he told AFP, explaining that he wets and washes his costume daily. The fires have ravaged over 200,000 hectares of forest on Borneo between January and July, an area roughly three times the size of Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. The ongoing drought, fueled by the powerful El Niño climate event, continues to worsen the situation.

“

I am very happy because I can help people