Fires Modern consists of 18 histories from the progressive movement including reference to black history, the history of the women's rights movement, fascism in Britain, racism, murder and contemporary references to social inclusion movements like LGBT+ and modern race equality.

Stories of progress include the work of contemporary figures such as human rights activist Peter Tatchell, justice and equality campaigner Doreen Lawrence (mother of Stephen) and the tragic suicide of Justin Fashanu that prompted the campaign against homophobia in football.

Fires Modern begins with the misogynist jest of the Lord Mayor of London in 1666 - The great fire is no threat, a woman could piss it out - and concludes with the words of murdered MP, wife and mother Jo Cox, an advocate for refugees, who said, more unites us than divides us.