Enviro News Asia, Palu — The Indonesian Forest Concessionaires Association (APHI) Sulawesi has praised its members holding Forest Utilization Business Permits (PBPH) for actively supporting forest and land fire prevention and response, including firefighting operations outside their licensed concession areas.
Teteng Riswara, Chairman of the APHI Sulawesi Regional Commission, said forest and land fires are a shared challenge because fires and smoke do not recognize administrative or concession boundaries.
“We appreciate APHI Sulawesi members who, with their personnel and firefighting equipment, are supporting fire suppression outside their PBPH areas according to their capacity and in coordination with relevant authorities and stakeholders,” Teteng said in Palu on Saturday (August 29, 2026).
He said the support demonstrates the commitment of APHI members to protecting forests and the environment while safeguarding communities and economic activities around their operational areas.
Assistance outside concession boundaries is also viewed as an expression of corporate responsibility and cross-sector collaboration, without replacing the authority of government agencies and institutions responsible for forest and land fire management.
Teteng highlighted PT Bina Balantak Raya as one of the APHI Sulawesi members involved in supporting forest and land fire response activities.
Monitoring through the SIPASHUT system identified several hotspots on August 15, 18, 20, 24, 25, and 26, 2026. The hotspots were recorded in Balingara Village, Ampana Tete District; Tobelombang and Pulo Palapan villages in Nuhon District; and Menyoe Village in Mamosalato District.
Novel, Manager of Utilization at PT Bina Balantak Raya and an APHI Sulawesi member, said the deployment of the company’s firefighting team was part of its rapid response mechanism after receiving hotspot information, including when assistance was required outside the company’s PBPH concession.
The information was followed up through field verification at accessible locations, with teams traveling on foot and by motorcycle. Among the locations inspected were Menyoe and Balingara villages.
Field verification found that some areas had already been extinguished, while fires were still detected in several locations. The company team, working together with the Mobile Brigade Police (Brimob) and local communities, conducted water spraying and ground wetting operations to extinguish the remaining fires and prevent them from spreading toward forest areas, settlements, and surrounding productive land.
“Once we received information about the hotspots, our team immediately conducted field verification while prioritizing personnel safety. Where fires were still detected, the team immediately carried out spraying, wetting, and continued monitoring to prevent the fires from reigniting or spreading,” Novel said.
The company continues to monitor developments through hotspot data and field reports. Personnel and firefighting equipment are also being kept on standby to support response operations if additional fires are detected in accessible areas.
Teteng called on local governments, security and emergency response authorities, businesses, community fire groups, and residents to strengthen communication and coordination, particularly during periods of elevated fire risk.
He also urged communities to avoid using fire for land clearing and to immediately report any signs of fire.
“The faster information is received and the stronger coordination is in the field, the greater the opportunity to control fires at an early stage. Forest and land fire management must prioritize mutual cooperation, rapid response, safety, and the public interest,” Teteng said.
APHI Sulawesi will continue encouraging its members to strengthen patrols, hotspot monitoring, personnel and equipment readiness, water-source availability, and coordination with government agencies and local communities.
Through stronger cross-boundary collaboration, forest and land fires are expected to be detected and contained as early as possible, minimizing their impacts on forests, the environment, public health, and the local economy. (*)
