{
  "id": 11050718,
  "title": "Smoke masks and motorbikes, Kalimantan mothers blaze through haze to defend burning forests",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/smoke-masks-and-motorbikes-kalimantan-mothers-blaze-through-haze-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T23:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2026/10/01/smoke-masks-and-motorbikes-kalimantan-mothers-blaze-through-haze-to-defend-burning-forests/237109"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Indonesia's Kalimantan region, women are risking their lives to combat forest fires, battling toxic smoke and facing sexist backlash. The \"Power of Mama\" initiative, founded in 2022, consists of over 100 volunteer mothers from a dozen villages in Ketapang regency. Many homemakers, they patrol for smoke and flames, tackling fires when needed, often on motorbikes or in pickup trucks carrying water pumps and buckets. Despite traditional gender roles that assign firefighting to men, these women are proving their worth. Ramilah, a 46-year-old homemaker, shared that she joined the initiative to protect the forest and mitigate the harmful haze affecting her community, including her young child's education. The women wear protective gear, including surgical masks and orange jump suits, battling fires for several hours, starting early in the morning with household chores and concluding in the evening. The initiative, supported by Indonesia's YIARI wildlife foundation, was born out of the 2019 wildfires that ravaged Kalimantan during an El Nino drought, resulting in the destruction of nearly 900,000 hectares of land. The haze has spread to neighboring countries, causing respiratory issues for tens of thousands and imperilling wildlife. While some community members resist the women's efforts, the \"Power of Mama\" has garnered support as they showcase their capabilities, with husbands like Mutia's Roni Irawan lending their backing.",
  "summary": "KETAPANG (Indonesia), Oct 1 — Housework in the morning followed by several hours of firefighting: women in Indones...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}