Indonesia to deploy dry ice to reduce thick haze from fires

The Indonesian government will deploy dry ice into the air above South Sumatra in a bid to reduce the haze caused by intense fires.

The thick haze is also affecting nearby countries, including Singapore and East Timor.

Indonesian authorities will deploy dry ice in an attempt to reduce a thick haze blanketing the country and parts of South-East Asia, which has been caused by large fires.

Indonesia experiences forest fires regularly during its dry season, but this year the blazes have been especially severe due to droughts brought on by a strong El Niño.

Authorities said more than 280,000 respiratory problems have been recorded in haze-affected regions since August 18, as fires burned through hundreds of thousands of hectares in Borneo and Sumatra islands.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachma said the first dry-ice trial would take place on Thursday, local time, and would focus on the haze in South Samatra.

"This dry-ice deployment trial is a direct instruction from the president to help address the haze in South Sumatra," he said.

"We will first assess the results and, if effective, this method could potentially be implemented in other areas."

A total of 1.5 tons of dry ice is being prepared for distribution by Cessna aircraft in the Palembang area.

On Tuesday a fire razed nearly 300 homes on Sumatra, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate, according to an official.

The haze has drifted into neighbouring Singapore, Malaysia and East Timor, and as far afield as the Philippines.

According to Singapore's National Environment Agency, air pollution in western Singapore was rated as "very high" — the country's top level — on Wednesday.

It recorded levels of tiny particulates capable of penetrating the bloodstream and lungs, exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended average annual exposure.

Singapore rolled out subsidies for haze-related medical treatment from Monday, a measure last activated in 2015 when similar blazes in Indonesia cloaked Southeast Asia in toxic smoke for weeks.

The city-state has also begun distributing N95 masks to eligible residents when pollution reaches very unhealthy levels.

East Timor began a three-day school closure on Thursday, local time, due to the haze.

The government said it was necessary to close schools "to protect the health of students, teachers and other members of the educational community, given current air quality conditions".

It urged families to keep children indoors and advised citizens to wear masks if venturing out.