GOLDEN, Colo. -- With the help of some favorable winds, firefighters in Jefferson County on Friday evening contained a rapidly spreading grass fire that burned more than 200 acres on North Table Mountain, an area with a mix of horse ranches and million-dollar homes.

Authorities say the 207-acre fire was sparked by fireworks and have questioned three teens. The two boys and a girl were released to their parents as the investigation continues. It is not known if they will face any criminal charges.

Their identities have not been released but they were believed to be high school sophomores.

A backpack full of fireworks was found near where the fire started.

Penny Coleman told 7NEWS that before the fire started she heard three pops and saw three teens running away. She grabbed her camera and snapped shots of them. Her home and all the others were spared by the blaze but she's angry that carelessness caused such alarm.

Fortunately, no was hurt in the fire and the flames only consumed a small barn.

The fire broke out in the 14000 block of 52nd Avenue at about 10:30 a.m. and then exploded in the afternoon, pushed along by gusty winds and fueled by dry, hot conditions. The fire started a little more than four hours before a full fire ban was set to go into effect in Jefferson County.

"At the time, officials and residents didn't seem to be concerned about the fire," said Steve Saunders, a 7News anchor who was covering the fire when it first started. "Many of the residents told us they thought the fire would burn itself out."

But then as the fast-moving fire continued to grow and became unpredictable, reverse 911 calls were placed to homes in the fire's path. Residents in the Table Rock subdivision were asked to consider evacuating.

Fire engines stood in defensive positions at the homes as the fire approached. Homeowners grabbed garden hoses and watered down their outlying property.

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Slideshow: Golden Wildfire Threatens Homes

Video: Firefighters Battle Table Mountain Fire

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More than 110 firefighters from 10 agencies -- including Golden, Fairmount, Coal Creek, Pleasantview, Golden Gate, North Metro and Arvada -- battled the fire from the ground as two single-engine air tankers worked the fire from the air. The firefighters had to endure brutal heat -- with temperatures near 100 degrees -- and rugged terrain.

Firefighters were helped by an access road that cut across North Table Mountain. The fire never jumped that line and didn't cross to the other side where homes were located.

An emergency animal shelter was set up at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds to house evacuated animals.

Peggy Cannell at Table Mountain Ranch told 7NEWS she was evacuating about 100 horses from the ranch at the edge of the fire to the fairgrounds. Nearby Shiloh Ranch also evacuated about 100 horses as a result of the fire.

Some residents expressed concern that more aggressive efforts to halt the flames weren't made earlier in the day, when the fire was much smaller.

Firefighters were hampered by gusty winds around the flat-topped mesa north of Golden. Those winds pushed the fire in different directions and made it unpredictable.

Although the fire is completely contained, the fire was still burning in some spots Saturday. Fire danger remains high Saturday, with high winds and a high of 101 degrees forecast for the day.

Smoke from the fire, located about 5 miles north of Golden, could be seen from across the Denver metro area -- even at Denver International Airport, about 40 miles away.