ARVADA, Colo. – A grass fire in Arvada forced approximately 400 residents to evacuate their homes for about an hour early Friday afternoon.
The grass fire was reported in the area of W. 86th Avenue and Fenton Street, north of Lake Arbor Park shortly after noon.
Evacuations were taking place from 84th Ave. north to 86th Ave., and from Sheridan West to Gray Ct., police said in a tweet, as they warned the fire was moving to the east toward Sheridan.
Evacuees were told to wait in the parking lot on the North-West corner of 88th and Sheridan and advised people in the area to use Wadsworth to travel north from 80th Avenue, and to use 80th Avenue to travel east or west.
"My mom called me while I was in school and she said that there was a fire a few doors down. So I talked to my friends and rushed down here so I can pack some stuff up," said Hunter Bell, who lives behind from where the fire started. "It's just scary how something so small can turn into something so huge within a matter of minutes."
"I was really worried about the wind, mostly because it's just going to push it over into this area where all the other houses are," said Trent Williams, another neighbor who lives nearby.
The National Weather Service reported sustained wind speeds of 22 mph in the area with 44 mph wind gusts.
Evacuations were lifted shortly after 1 p.m. but firefighters remained at the scene to make sure no sparks would re-ignite.
They said the fire burned an area of over 100 yards in length and sheds were the only structures that were damaged in the blaze.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
