Indonesia wildfires: teen 'Superman' joins Borneo fight

Indonesia's wildfires have burned more than 200,000 hectares this year as smog spreads across Borneo and Malaysia, while a 17-year-old volunteer dressed as Superman has drawn attention to the difficult fight against peatland fires near Palangkaraya.

Rudiyansah, who uses one name, has joined a volunteer firefighting group set up by his father, Mulyadi, to douse smouldering peatland around the Central Kalimantan city. He said he has helped after school since 2023 and began wearing the red and blue costume this year "just for fun". Video of him using a hose to wet foliage has gone viral, and Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni called him a "forest hero".

Mulyadi said haze from this year's fire season was the worst his group had seen since it was established in 2020. He said a lack of water was the main challenge, with wells and other sources drying up during drought.

Government figures released this week said fires from January to July burned more than 200,000 hectares, already more than during the El Nino seasons of 2019 and 2023. Nearly 95,000 hectares burned in July alone, according to government figures. Thick smog has affected Palangkaraya, and smoke has reached Malaysia's Sarawak state.

The government has ordered more troop and aircraft deployments to contain the blazes and smog. Officials have also said they were ready for cloud-seeding operations if suitable clouds appeared.

Dry conditions linked to El Nino are increasing wildfire risks in Indonesia. Human-caused climate change can amplify El Nino's impacts because a warmer ocean and atmosphere make more energy and moisture available for extreme weather.