Matsunaga Gengo, formerly known as the "Fire-Eating Bird," was Edo's most renowned fire-fighting samurai. After stepping away from the fire brigade for personal reasons, he receives an unexpected offer to take command of the Shinjo clan's fire-fighting unit, which is desperately short on resources and manpower and looked down upon by others. Encouraged by his wife Miyuki, Gengo accepts the challenge and sets out to rebuild the struggling squad. Though mocked as the "ragged steeplejacks" (the Boro-Tobi-Gumi), Gengo and his uniquely eccentric team strive tirelessly to "save every life." Meanwhile, Edo is plagued by a series of mysterious arson incidents known as "foxfires."
