Teen volunteers fight Borneo peatland fires in Superman costume

Science

The Straits Times

Indonesian peatland fires have burned over 200,000 hectares between January and July, producing thick smog that reached Malaysia and prompting the government to deploy more troops and aircraft to contain the blazes. Volunteers, including 17-year-old Rudiyansah who wore a Superman costume while fighting smouldering peat, have joined local efforts set up by his father since 2020, but firefighters face water shortages as wells dried during drought. Officials link the severity to El Niño-driven drought and note that human-caused climate change can amplify those impacts, creating ongoing firefighting and cross-border air quality challenges.

Fires burned more than 200,000 hectares through July.