Killarney fires: The inside story of the battle to save a national treasure

Complex ecosystems that took hundreds of years to evolve were destroyed in hours after a devastating blaze ripped through one of Ireland’s natural treasures.

The fire burning in Killarney National Park

An alarming phone call last Saturday at 4am began a five-day battle against a raging fire for Seamus Hassett, ecologist and regional manager of Killarney National Park.

Herculean efforts by Mr Hassett, his team, the fire service, the Air Corps, and many volunteers followed for the next 90-plus hours as they worked to quench the flames burning through the oldest national park in Ireland.