The long- hot summer and fall of 1871 has left Chicago a tinderbox; both literally and figuratively.

Like millions of fellow Irishmen, Firefighter Shawn Collins and his wife Margrett fled to America in search of a better life. Rather than the idyllic New World they dreamed of, they found poverty, crowded tenements, crime and deep-rooted prejudice.

Shawn still clings to the American Dream and is determined to build a life in his new home. The squalor of Chicago has left Margrett bitter. She misses the green fields and cozy villages of “home” and longs for escape. Liam, their oldest and only surviving child, has grown cynical and angry. He sees an America of two classes, those who have and those who don’t. Convinced that his father is a fool for believing in hard work, the seductive call of easy money and power has brought him under the influence of a local crime boss.  

When the unthinkable happens, Shawn’s life is changed forever. A firestorm from hell itself will consume much of Chicago. He and his brother firefighters will fight desperately to save their city. Margrett and Liam will simply fight to survive.