About 20 firefighters remain on the scene of a grass fire that started Wednesday in the Fort Saskatchewan area.

The fire, near Range Road 220 just south of Township Road 554, was deemed to be under control around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, though crews remained on scene overnight to watch for flare ups, said Vern Elliott, deputy fire chief of Strathcona County.

About 32 hectares of brush and grass has burned, Elliott said.

Firefighters from Fort Saskatchewan, Strathcona County, Bruderheim and Lamont were called out to the fire around 6 p.m.

Some crews were expected to remain on site until the afternoon, he said.

About 32 hectares of grass and brush burned in the fire on Wednesday northeast of Fort Saskatchewan. (Jay Hoffos)

"We have air support through a couple of helicopters that will be dropping water on some of those hot spots," Elliott said on Thursday.

The helicopters will focus on the middle of the fire area, while firefighters will check the perimeter, "making sure it doesn't get any bigger," he said.

Since March 1, Strathcona County has received more than 22 reports of outside fires, which Elliott said it a typical number based on previous years.

While conditions are dry, Elliott said cooler air temperatures are helping to keep grass fires from moving quickly.

Firefighters are not having to deal with a condition called "crossover" — where the relative humidity dips below the temperature, he said.

He urged people in the Edmonton region to use caution when disposing of cigarettes, when riding ATV's, and with backyard fire pits.

"We do ask all residents to really consider what they're doing when it comes to combustible materials, and to be a little more cautious until things green up a little bit or we get some moisture," Elliott said.