INDONESIA TRIALS DRY ICE TO CLEAR TOXIC HAZE FROM FOREST FIRES NEAR SOUTH SUMATRA AIRPORT

Fri 16 October 2026:

Visibility rises sharply after experimental flights release frozen carbon dioxide; method targets smoke trapped by inversion layers

Indonesia has started testing dry ice technology to break up toxic haze produced by forest and peatland fires, with officials reporting a sharp improvement in visibility near an airport in South Sumatra.

The National Disaster Management Agency said Thursday that the trials rely on atmospheric modification techniques that disperse smoke without needing rain clouds, according to the state news agency Antara. The effort comes amid recurring seasonal fires that often generate thick, hazardous haze across Sumatra and other islands, reducing air quality, disrupting flights, and affecting public health.

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Method Disrupts Smoke-Trapping Layers

Berton S.P. Panjaitan, acting head of the agency’s data, information and communication center, said the approach targets dense smoke directly. This differs from conventional cloud seeding, which uses salt particles to encourage rainfall. He explained that forest fires create atmospheric inversion layers that hold hazardous smoke close to the ground.

Response teams release 3-millimeter dry ice granules at minus 75C (minus 103F) to break up these layers and allow the smoke to disperse. A Cessna Caravan aircraft conducted two flights Thursday at an altitude of 4,500 feet, releasing 1,600 kilograms (3,527 pounds) of dry ice over Palembang’s Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport.

Visibility Improves After Flights

Following the operation, the disaster agency reported that visibility rose from 650 meters (2,133 feet) to 2,800 meters (9,186 feet). The trials are scheduled to continue through Sunday before authorities evaluate whether to expand the technique to other provinces affected by the haze.

Indonesia’s peatland and forest fires frequently produce prolonged toxic smoke that can travel across borders, prompting repeated emergency responses that include firefighting, land-use restrictions, and weather-modification efforts during dry periods.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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