Indonesia is experimenting with the use of dry ice to combat widespread fires that have caused a toxic haze across the country and raised concerns among neighboring nations. The new method was deployed in South Sumatra province last Thursday as part of ongoing efforts to control the blazes.

The Indonesian government has previously employed techniques such as cloud seeding, water bombing, and the involvement of military personnel to contain the fires. Coordinating Security Minister Dudung Abdurachman said authorities will monitor the effectiveness of the dry ice approach and may extend its use to other affected areas if results prove promising.

Since the start of the year, nearly 900,000 hectares of land have been consumed by fires in Indonesia, marking the worst fire season seen in more than ten years. Experts attribute this to the intense "Godzilla" El Niño weather phenomenon, which has created unusually dry conditions, as well as the continued use of slash-and-burn practices for clearing land, particularly for palm oil cultivation.

The resulting haze has led to health warnings and diplomatic tensions with countries in the region affected by the smoke. Indonesian officials have faced sustained pressure to address the root causes of the fires and implement more effective firefighting measures amid the recurring seasonal crisis.