May 24, 1979, then in Paris on July 11, 1979. It was later distributed in Canada by Astral Films, showing in Montreal on Astral Films on 29 August 1979. It opened in United States on 31 August 1979. Reception From a contemporary review, Gilbert Adair of the Monthly Film Bulletin declared that "'dull' as criticism, scarcely does justice to the ludicrous contrivance of this disaster movie" and that "its idiocy is best exemplified by the scene in which, as the crooked mayor and the jet-setting benefactress of a hospital resolve their amours differences, the camera focuses on the beatific expression of an elderly patient who has finally managed to relieve himself into a bedpan." The film was featured on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. See also List of firefighting films References Sources External links Mystery Science Theater 3000 Episode guide: K16- City on Fire 1979 films 1970s disaster films 1970s action drama films American action drama films American disaster films Canadian action drama films Canadian disaster films Embassy Pictures films English-language Canadian films Films about arson Films shot in Montreal Films about firefighting 1970s English-language films Films directed by Alvin Rakoff 1970s American films 1970s Canadian films