Indonesian Influencer Seeks Rainmaker Amid Kalimantan Fires
Riyuka Bunga’s post about Kalimantan fires sent social media users looking for Rara the rainmaker, as commenters pleaded for rain.
JAKARTA — A social media appeal about fires in Indonesia’s Kalimantan has turned an online joke about summoning rain into a wider conversation about a hazard that can affect residents across the island. Influencer Riyuka Bunga urged followers to look for Rara, known publicly as a rainmaker, as users pleaded for rain to fall in fire-hit areas.
The post appeared on Threads and was cited on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. Riyuka asked people to set aside celebrity disputes and focus on finding Rara, drawing jokes, account tags and messages calling for rain in Kalimantan.
Riyuka’s post shifts attention to the fires
“Pinggirin dulu ajuju vs awkarin, atau ruben onsu vs sarwendah. Coba skrg kita cari mba rara lg di mana,” Riyuka wrote on her Threads account, @riyukabunga. The post referred to public disputes involving celebrities, including Awkarin and Aa Juju, before turning attention to Rara Pawang Hujan.
Rara became widely known after appearing at major events in Indonesia. Her public profile helped turn Riyuka’s appeal into a familiar social media joke: some commenters described her as having control over the weather, while others tagged an account they believed belonged to her.
“Nah ini yg paling bener. Soalnya beliau yg bawa remot langit,” one user wrote. Another questioned why people had only thought to look for Rara as fires became a concern. A separate commenter tagged @rarapawang_cahayatarot.
One plea was direct: “Mba RARAAAAA TURUNIN HUJAN PLISSSS DI KALIMANTAN.” The comments were playful, but they pointed to public concern about fires and the effects of smoke on people living in affected areas.
Rain can help, but does not replace firefighting
Fires in forests and on land remain an environmental problem requiring practical response. Dry conditions can raise the risk of fire, while smoke from burning areas can affect health and disrupt daily activities. The supplied report does not specify the location or scale of the fires.
Rain can wet the land and ease dry conditions that help fires spread. But rainfall is not a substitute for extinguishing fires, monitoring hotspots or preventing new outbreaks. Those efforts still depend on action by the relevant authorities and responders on the ground.
That distinction matters for communities facing smoke: hoping for rain may express solidarity, but it does not itself control fires or prevent them from spreading. Riyuka’s post brought the issue into a celebrity-focused online conversation, where humor helped draw attention to a serious environmental concern.
Riyuka’s appeal asked users to look for Rara as the fires in Kalimantan drew attention. The message that spread most plainly was a plea from a commenter: “Mba RARAAAAA TURUNIN HUJAN PLISSSS DI KALIMANTAN.”
