Indonesia drops 2,400kg of dry ice to disperse haze

Indonesia has dropped 2.4 tonnes (2,400kg) of dry ice as a solution to get rid of the haze from forest fires.

The "weather modification" operation on Oct. 15 and 16 saw dry ice deployed from a plane over South Sumatra province on Sumatra island in the area around Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport in Palembang, The Guardian reported.

Thick haze had disrupted flights.

National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre oversaw the operation, according to state news agency Antara.

Visibility at the airport reportedly improved from 1,000m to as much as 3,000m during the operation.

Effectiveness of dry ice

However, it was not known if the improvement was caused by the dry ice or other weather factors.

In theory, dry ice, which is frozen solid carbon dioxide, could weaken atmospheric conditions that trap smoke near the ground, potentially allowing it to rise and improve visibility.

South Sumatra was the first Indonesian province selected to test the dry-ice technique.

It was carried out on the direct instructions of President Prabowo Subianto to accelerate efforts to mitigate the impact of the fires, it was reported.

The area is among six provinces prioritised by Indonesia for forest and land fire prevention and response.

The other areas are Riau, Jambi, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan.

Other methods to combat fires

Another method to fight fires and smoke is to use a suppressant made from cassava flour and a Portuguese powder, Realiza Antichamas.

The fire-suppressing gel forms when mixed with water and apparently does not harm wildlife or kill plants.

But the gel might not stop fires occurring deep underground.