MORRISON, Colo. (KDVR) — A windy day fueled a grass fire, putting communities in the foothills on standby for evacuations.

The Hogback Fire left a smoky commute for folks along C-470, near Interstate 70 in Morrison. Fire crews spent most of the day battling flames in hurricane-force winds.

The wind didn’t stop some folks from their Friday plans, but the fire did.

“I actually was coming in to plan an event tonight, to put on an event tonight, which ironically is called our ‘fireside chat.” Not this kind of fire,” Kristen Kidd, who works at the nearby Dinosaur Ridge, said.

The Hogback Fire burned near Matthews-Winters Park close to Morrison, leading to pre-evacuation notices for communities nearby.

“I never even made it over,” Kidd said. “I was just called off before I could even come in.”

Wind-blown rocks damage cars

Because of the fire, Kidd was among many folks who had to high-tail it out of the area in a smoky and windy commute.

“The wind was so bad that rocks were flying and hitting car windows in the parking lot,” Kidd said. “One of my colleagues’ back window of her car got hit and shattered by a rock, just a rock flying in the wind.”

The fire crept from the west face to the eastern side of the ridge. Smoke was visible for miles.

It was initially measured at 10 acres, but the wind assured it would grow, canceling Friday plans for many as a result.

“We’re going to try again, maybe, on Sunday, but we think we’ll be closed tomorrow,” Kidd said. “Also, because we just don’t know if they’re going to be out there still working these hotspots. We don’t want to be in the way or have visitors in the way of all these firefighters.”

Crews remained on the scene into the night as the fire grew to 40 acres.

Denver, Castle Rock and South Metro fire all sent trucks and firefighters to help. Crews set perimeters and put out hotspots.