Controlled Burn Worries Residents

The Los Angeles County Fire Department burned 175 acres in Cheeseboro Canyon on Monday as part of a controlled process to eliminate thick brush that could fuel wild brush fires, authorities said.

The sight of smoke from the fire worried nearby residents of the Agoura area, who flooded the department with calls, said Fire Inspector Scott Smith.

“Dispatch relayed the message that they were getting bombarded with calls,” said Smith, who said he had talked to a dozen callers.

“They haven’t had a major fire in that area in quite a while,” Smith said. “They’re all kind of on edge up there thinking, ‘When’s it going to happen?’ ”