CONTROLLED BURN PLANNED FOR HILLS : AIM IS TO REDUCE WILDFIRE DANGER.

Byline: Susan Goldsmith Daily News Staff Writer

Smoke will fill the skies above the Santa Monica Mountains today as part of a controlled burn program to rid Malibu Canyon of excess vegetation and exotic plants.

During the two-day, 120-acre burn in Malibu Creek State Park, officials will set the brush ablaze with torches, and more than 50 firefighters from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the National Park Service and California Conservation Corps will keep the fire in check.

``We're going to conduct the burn cautiously and keep the fire inside the control lines,'' said Frank Padilla Jr., a spokesman for the state Department of Parks and Recreation and incident commander for the controlled burn. ``We're going to take it slow so we don't generate a lot of smoke that would cause any visibility problems on the roadway.''

To take advantage of cooler temperatures, the fire will be started in the early morning hours at the northeast end of the park bordering Las Virgenes Road. Its southern edge will extend along Lost Hills Road. The smoke generated by the burn is expected to have a minimal impact on air quality and traffic, officials said.

Mindful of potential hazards posed by the hot weather, officials said the burn would be canceled if winds are blowing from the north, creating Santa Ana conditions that could make the fire difficult to control.

``We will only burn if there is a southern wind because it comes from the ocean and has more moisture in it,'' said Suzanne Goode, an ecologist with the state Department of Parks and Recreation.

The fire will be extinguished about noon each day when outdoor temperatures are expected to reach 90 degrees, Goode said.

The burn, which also will be conducted Wednesday, will have little impact on residents, with the nearest homes located about a half-mile from the site, according to Goode.

Although the prescribed burn is part of a program to reduce fire potential in canyon areas surrounding Los Angeles, it also will rid the land of exotic plants such as star thistle and European grass, which prevent native vegetation from growing, Padilla said.

``This is part of a native grassland restoration project,'' Padilla said. ``By burning the vegetation now there, along with the seed bed, this will provide an opportunity for native plants to get a foothold in there.''

Once the area is burned, ecologists will plant oak trees and native grasses to replace the exotic plants, Goode said.

Prescribed burning, which takes place throughout the year, is a means of reducing fire danger and rejuvenating the ecosystem, Padilla said.

Because there was little rain in the winter, plants have stored little water, fueling the potential for fire this summer and fall, Padilla warned.