The North Sulawesi Provincial Government (Pemprov Sulut) acted swiftly to anticipate and tackle the forest and land fires (karhutla) affecting the Mount Soputan protected forest area. Hotspots were reportedly detected around the Selet Camping Ground Nature Tourism area, Silian Raya District, Southeast Minahasa Regency.
This tactical step was taken under the direct instruction of the Governor of North Sulawesi, retired Major General Yulius Selvanus, SE. Local government officials immediately conducted intensive coordination with various related agencies to accelerate the extinguishing process and minimize environmental damage and risks to the local community.
The integrated firefighting operation, which took place on Monday (3/8/2026), involved joint personnel from the North Sulawesi Provincial Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the Forestry Service, the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), Korem 131, Brimob, Manggala Agni, and the Forest Police. The ground response was also assisted by the Southeast Minahasa Regency Government along with local volunteers.
Governor Yulius Selvanus emphasized that tackling forest and land fires requires solid synergy from all elements. The North Sulawesi Provincial Government is committed to continuing to strengthen coordination with regency/municipal governments, the military (TNI), the national police (Polri), and technical agencies so that hotspots can be localized immediately and prevented from spreading to other areas.
In addition to firefighting efforts, the government also urged the public and tourists to increase vigilance. Residents are asked not to clear land by burning, avoid activities that trigger sparks in forest areas, and immediately report to the nearest officers if they detect any new hotspots.
