Editor's note: The following article was written by National Park Service employees Stephanie Mack and Macie Monahan.

Cliff Dwelling roof in fire resistant wrap/NPS, Macie Monahan

When a wildfire headed towards Tonto National Monument in Arizona, park staff jumped into action and protected ancient wood used in the monument's cliff dwellings to withstand any flames that might reach them.

The two Salado cliff dwellings display the connection between the Salado and their environment. They constructed the dwellings 700+ years ago using local wood including ponderosa pine, juniper, saguaro ribs, and many other Southwestern species.

In the summer of 2019, the impending Woodbury Wildland Fire in the nearby Superstition Wilderness threatened the preserved wood. Protecting these cliff dwellings from the fire was a major priority for Tonto National Monument. The Integrated Resources staff decided to cover the cliff dwellings in a fire-resistant aluminized structure wrap to shield the prehistoric wood, and preserve the dwellings as a whole.

On June 19 and 20, Tonto National Monument staff Brett Cockrell, Stephanie Mack, and Macie Monahan led a crew on a mission to wrap the cliff dwellings. This crew included Tonto National Forest fire staff, Capstone Fire & Safety Management, Casa Grande Fire Department, and Arizona Fire and Medical Authority.

So how do you wrap a cliff dwelling without negatively impacting 700+ year-old wood?

Preserving the dwellings started by removing nearby wooden fuels and then attaching the fire-resistant wrap without stapling directing into the prehistoric wood. Fire entered the park on June 21 and, due to the efforts of the fire crews and resource staff, both cliff dwellings were unharmed. Once the fire was no longer a threat, the wrap was carefully removed. 

This historic achievement for Tonto National Monument was the first time the in park history where the dwellings were protected from wildfire. With teamwork, problem solving, and a passion for preservation, the cliff dwellings remained unharmed. 

How to Wrap a Cliff Dwelling 101

One-by-two-inch wooden planks were hung from prehistoric support beams using paracord. Then aluminized structure wrap was stapled to the planks. The wrap was enclosed around the feature in a tent-like fashion and weighted to the ground using non-structural stone. 

Cliff dwelling door prepared for wildfire/NPS, Macie Monahan

Doorframe Lintels: Two techniques were used to wrap doorframe lintels. The first involved encasing the lintels with the wrap and securing it into place with paracord. The second technique was similar, but instead involved placing non-structural stone above the lintels on top of the wrap (right).

Support beams: Support beams were covered with the wrap that was held in place by paracord.

Non-prehistoric wood: In both dwellings, there are many instances of historic stabilization work completed by the National Park Service that used wood. As this wood is not a contributing factor to the integrity of the dwellings, the wrap was stapled directly to the beams.

The crew that protected the cliff dwellings from fire/NPS