The Ignis Purgators arose during the great fire of Old Guilders as some brave hivers chose to stay and fight back the flames. Using rebreathing systems and industrial equipment they were able to save lives and limit the total loss of the settlement. In the cycles that followed, gangs and neer'do wells began eyeing the settlement as a source of scavenging, hivers who stood their ground dying at the hands of the outlaws.

With Precinct-19 embroiled with investigating the cause of the fire and arresting the gangs running amok, it fell to the hivers to defend themselves. These hivers who had fought the fires with their grit, industrial kit and teamwork now turned their attentions to a new threat.

When patrols from P-19 eventually arrived to ascertain the levels of damages they found the hivers had reinstated their own order amongst the ruins. Workers had resumed duties in their factorums because they knew their own would defend their shanties, rotating shifts looking out for the other settlers.

Seizing the opportunity to redeploy the troops elsewhere the Patrol Captain deputised the firefighters turned defenders of old guilders as the 'Ignis Purgators' and deputised them to maintain order, preserve quotas by protecting the workers and to defend the tithes by any means necessary.