July 2, 1979: Wildfires ravage northern Alberta

In the dry summer of 1979, water bombers and smoky skies were a familiar sight as fires raged in northern Alberta.

By early July, 1,200 firefighters were working to contain more than 50 fires blazing across the province, covering an area 10 times larger than the previous year's fires.

This report by CBC's Christopher Walmslay, broadcast37 years ago, shows what firefighters went through to combat the flames.

In the Athabasca region alone, more than 200 firefighters were on the ground, supported by water bombers above, to put out 10 separate fires.

In May 2011, the Slave Lake fire would take hold just 100 kilometres away.