The ongoing fires have also strained infrastructure and civil services, as firefighters struggle to bring the blaze under control with little (if any) state support. Schools were forced to suspend in-person classes. Activists say the fires disrupted the children's right to a safe and adequate education. The fires also increased the financial burden on families, who have to cover the costs of learning at home. Communities and activists have also raised the alarm about the role of corporations in burning the land. Activists report that 85,000 hectares across 335 corporate concessions in Sumatra and Kalimantan have been burned, raising concerns about corporate liability. Many companies involved are in the oil palm and forestry sectors, including Malaysian and Singaporean companies. This, combined with state negligence, sparked widespread protests calling for the fires to be declared a national disaster.

The ongoing fires have also strained infrastructure and civil services, as firefighters struggle to bring the blaze under control with little (if any) state support. Schools were forced to suspend in-person classes. Activists say the fires disrupted the children's right to a safe and adequate education. The fires also increased the financial burden on families, who have to cover the costs of learning at home. Communities and activists have also raised the alarm about the role of corporations in burning the land. Activists report that 85,000 hectares across 335 corporate concessions in Sumatra and Kalimantan have been burned, raising concerns about corporate liability. Many companies involved are in the oil palm and forestry sectors, including Malaysian and Singaporean companies. This, combined with state negligence, sparked widespread protests calling for the fires to be declared a national disaster.