Indonesian teenager fighting Kalimantan wildfires in Superman costume named Forest Hero

Viral firefighting in Central Kalimantan

In Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, an adolescent student has drawn international attention after videos of him fighting forest fires in a Superman costume circulated across social media. Rudiyansah, reported as 17 years old by several outlets and 15 by another, lives in the Petuk Katimpun area within the Jekan Raya district of Palangka Raya. Armed with a water hose and wearing a blue suit with a red cape, he regularly joins volunteer teams battling peatland and vegetation blazes across Borneo. The footage has accumulated millions of views across online platforms, including his Instagram account @rdy.sh_. The teenager explained his motivation for joining frontline efforts during the ongoing fire emergency:

I am happy to help people.

Roots in family volunteering and childhood memory

Rudiyansah has been assisting his father, Mulyadi, in volunteer fire suppression operations since 2023. His commitment stems partly from his memory of 2015, when severe fires engulfed Palangka Raya in dense smoke, making it difficult for children to leave their houses. Rather than acquiring the outfit specifically for firefighting, the student already owned the costume at home and decided to wear it on duty to bring smiles to his fellow volunteers and raise environmental awareness among peers. Balancing his education with field operations, he attends SMAN 10 Palangka Raya in the tenth grade. School representative Rolly noted that the teenager acts diligently, participating in operations after classes and over weekends while teachers advise him to protect his safety.

Environmental conditions and official recognition

Wildfires across the region have intensified under severe drought conditions tied to the El Niño weather phenomenon. According to figures from the Ministry of Forestry, fires burned more than 107,000 hectares across Indonesia between January and June, more than double the area burned during the corresponding period in 2023. In response to Rudiyansah's public engagement, Indonesian Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni met with the teenager to present him with official recognition and confer the title of Hero of the Forest. The minister commended the teenager's dedication on social media:

For me he is not simply 'Superman', but a true hero of our land: a model for young people that demonstrates how solidarity and community awareness are fundamental to protecting the environment.

Aspirations for a professional forestry career

During his meeting with national officials, Rudiyansah shared that his long-term ambition is to become a professional forest ranger. Minister Antoni encouraged him to continue his academic studies and prepare for the role, pledging government support for his future training. Despite the physical hazards of smoke inhalation and peat fire suppression, the student continues to divide his schedule between textbooks and emergency operations in the Palangka Raya area. Local volunteer units continue monitoring active hotspots across Central Kalimantan as dry conditions persist.