Boeing wants to shoot artillery shells at wildfires

Boeing may have figured out a faster way to extinguish wildfires, that is, if people are OK with artillery shells flying overhead.

A patent from Boeing details the need to find alternative fire-fighting methods that don’t rely on aircraft, which deliver “fire-retarding material at a low rate which often makes them inadequate to control forest fires.” Boeing’s solution: fire shells filled with the same or similar material from a cannon.

Related: Drones preventing crews from combating wildfires

In the patent, Boeing says it would take about 34 hours to deliver 360,000 gallons of retardant. During that time, an 883-acre fire has the potential to grow to an estimated 3,130 acres.

“An improved system and method is needed to fight forest and other types of fires,” the patent states.

The 155-millimeter shells, Boeing argues, could be that improved method.

Boeing filed for the patent in 2014. It wasn’t published until the end of last month.

Wildfire season

While engineers find new ways to battle wildfires, crews are currently fighting several large fires in Eastern Washington and smaller ones throughout the state.

A fire burning on the Spokane Indian Reservation was 30-percent contained on Wednesday morning. That fire covered 19 square miles and had destroyed over a dozen homes.

A fire near the town of Davenport in Lincoln County covered 6.5 square miles and was 20 percent contained.

Fire officials say a fire south of Spokane in the Valleyford area was 50-percent contained. It had burned more than 10 square miles.

Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency for 20 Eastern Washington counties in response to the wildfires.

Though Inslee’s proclamation directs state agencies to do everything reasonably possible to assist the areas impacted by the fires, it’s unlikely they will be getting artillery support anytime soon.

Follow @https://twitter.com/mynorthwest