One year ago, the Lake Tahoe community faced a horror—a raging wildfire that quickly moved through forests, neighborhoods and homes.

The wildfire burned more than 3,100 acres and destroyed the homes of more than 250 families.

Immediately after the fire, the Lake Tahoe community experienced the stark, post-fire devastation—the smell of it, the vision of neighborhood homes turned to blackened rubble.

The fire prompted unprecedented changes in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Long-imposed regulations that limited homeowners’ ability to protect their property from fire were eased. Homeowners created defensible space around their homes. The notorious red tape and permitting imposed by government entities – particularly the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency – was dramatically reduced.

Perhaps more than anything, however, fire prevention became a priority for government and community leaders as it never had been before.

No longer was protecting property from fire an option—the culture changed to make it a must.

As the region recently marked the one-year anniversary of the Angora Fire and the devastation it left behind, will residents embrace lasting change to better protect the community from fire or will the memory of the devastation fade?

The aftermath of the Angora Fire will be one of the topics of discussion at the annual Tahoe Summit on Aug. 16, which will be hosted by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Before the fire, many lived as if they wouldn’t experience a major catastrophic fire in the Tahoe Basin.

As any area resident knows, much of the forestland around Lake Tahoe is dangerously overgrown, densely packed with too many trees, many dead or dying. Even before the Angora Fire, one could see entire hillsides with large brown patches from past fires and insect infestation. There was a persistent fire danger, yet due to stringent regulations, there was only so much Tahoe homeowners could do about it.

The post-fire changes have helped reduce the danger, but those new policies must remain in place and, in some cases, homeowners must dramatically expand personal efforts.

The U.S. Forest Service controls 85 percent of land in the Tahoe Basin—not homeowners.

It would be nice to think that if homeowners took care of their land that they could prevent fire from damaging homes. The reality is that preventing a catastrophic wildfire begins with preventing catastrophic wildfires in neighboring forests.

The Forest Service’s current effort to develop a 20-year plan for the Tahoe Basin must move beyond just creating fuel breaks to incorporate management of the whole forest around the basin. This also includes regular care of the forests – not a mentality that one year can take care of the problem.

Tahoe residents know from experience that the federal government will not provide the funds necessary to do the job. Even after the Angora Fire, the funds were insufficient to do all that was needed.

As a result, local residents have to look to their own resourcefulness and find ways to improve forest health without expecting a huge federal handout. The private sector stands ready to help the Forest Service in this task and a partnership is critical to the forest health and wildfire prevention.

Such action can ensure that fire protection never is neglected.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s current measurements for progress in the area include monitoring many important things—air quality, water quality, wildlife, vegetation, soil, noise, recreation, fish population, scenic beauty.

What’s missing? Monitoring progress in reducing the wildfire threat.

That must be added.

While the memory and lessons of the Angora Fire remain fresh, it’s critical that this time is used to make permanent changes to reduce the chance of a catastrophic wildfire that would do even more damage than the Angora Fire.

Tahoe itself and the Tahoe experience – from clear water, ample recreation and stunning views to abundant wildlife, clean air and more – demands it.

The time to act is now.

Jan Brisco is the executive director of the Tahoe Lakefront Owners Association.