With the start of the spring fire season in Virginia on Tuesday, Virginia Department of Forestry technician Nelson Jarvis was busy this week ensuring that all the local equipment was ready for the most dangerous time of the year—the season of wildfires.

With the start of the spring fire season also comes the 4 p.m. statewide burning ban. The law prohibits burning before 4 p.m. each day until April 30 if the fire is in, or within 30 feet of woodland, brush land or fields containing dry grass or other flammable materials.

Jarvis said last year was not an exceptional year for the number of wildfires that were reported. However, he wished to clear up a couple of misconceptions many people have about fire dangers.

"First of all, people assume if it rained a lot last week, it won’t burn next week," Jarvis said. "That’s simply not true."

Areas with phragmites and other grasses that fuel wildfires dry out very quickly, he said. The grasses can ig...