A LOCAL Country Fire Service (CFS) volunteer with 60 years-experience on the bushfire front line wants a major overhaul of tree planting in the local area, to prevent a large-scale disaster similar to the Kangaroo Island blaze.

Kingsford resident Tony Fotheringham, of  the Shea-Oak Log brigade, has volunteered for the CFS all of his adult life, and helped fight the Pinery, Sampson Flat and Ash Wednesday bushfires.

He no longer fights on the front line, but still does his part to support local crews on station.

The local region narrowly avoided joining Australia’s bushfire crisis, when a fire in the Angle Vale area was defeated in late December, but local crews have been kept busy supporting firefighting efforts in Cudlee Creek, Kangaroo Island and New South Wales.

Mr Fotheringham, who has lived in the Gawler area for more than 60 years, wants a radical planning overhaul, including ripping up pine and gum trees near roads and agriculture areas, to halt blazes before they spread.

He said “sizable” fire breaks needed to be established between flammable trees, roads, agriculture and viticulture to minimise the effect fires have on people and the environment.

“The potential problems in this area are everywhere,” he said.

“Wheat, peas and crops need to be separated from forested areas. The same with wineries, as the smoke can actually damage the grape.”

According to Mr Fotheringham, falling pine trees along roads are major safety issues during and after bushfires, with a devastating incident he experienced during the Ash Wednesday fires in 1980 sparking his concern.

During the firefighting effort at Cudlee Creek, six members of Mr Fotheringham’s brigade were travelling in a truck when it was struck by a falling pine tree, killing everyone inside.

“We haven’t learned in all these years that tall pine trees on the side of the road, when they fall sideways, it blocks people on the road,” he said.

“Surely we should stop planting them there anymore.

“If it’s killing people, why in the hell are we still putting these trees just by the road.”

Mr Fotheringham was aware his approach to fire prevention was drastic, but said urgent and dramatic measures were needed as bushfire seasons become longer and more severe.

“I drove to Goldings Wines (near Lobethal) the other day and I saw all these trees just waiting to fall down,” he said.

“We have to think about our animals as well. It’s terrible how many animals we’ve lost and how much habitat we’ve lost.

“It’s a mess isn’t it?”