GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) _ With temperatures expected to break 100 degrees Saturday, firefighters monitored hot spots left from a quickly moving grass fire that was stopped after roaring within 50 feet of several homes on a mountaintop north of here.
Authorities said fireworks likely started the fire, which grew to 175 acres before it was contained late Friday night. Jefferson County sheriff's spokeswoman Jacki Tallman said deputies questioned three teenagers who had a backpack containing fireworks.
The three were released to their parents Friday night. It was unclear if any charges would be filed.
The fire erupted on North Table Mountain, home to a mix of horse stables and grassy open space about 5 miles north of Golden, home of Molson Coors Brewing Co.
It sent a plume of smoke visible from Denver International Airport, 40 miles east and forced authorities to use reverse 911 calls to warn residents. Evacuations weren't ordered, but residents were told to leave if they felt threatened.
Several area fire agencies helped residents, armed with hoses, to keep the fire from reaching the homes. About 100 horses from a ranch were moved to the county fairgrounds.
Residents loaded belongings into trucks and cars in case they had to leave.
''I looked out the window and there was a bunch of smoke,'' 14-year-old Samantha Lewis said. ''I saw one neighbor coming around the corner in his truck and he nearly turned over.''
The fire was only about two acres at noon, but by afternoon was burning through grass and sagebrush that was higher than normal because of heavy spring snow and rain.
The only structure that burned was an abandoned barn.
Elsewhere in Colorado, several wildfires were burning.
A fire erupted Friday night in Garfield County about five miles south of Newcastle. The fire had grown to about 100 acres by Saturday afternoon and one air tanker was on the scene, according to the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center. It was unclear how the fire started.
All the other large blazes _ except for those being allowed to burn for ecological reasons _ had been contained.