Due to vacations with heat and road trips, it is more common to see cars go up in flames.

According to Transport Canada, there are nearly 10,000 car fires each year across the country for all kinds of reasons, such as arson, improper maintenance or repairs, collisions and defects.

On average, only 93 safety-related vehicle fires are recorded each year, the federal agency said in an email sent to Global News.

The number one cause of vehicle fires is traffic accidents, according to Edmonton fire investigation specialist Keith Fowler. Manufacturing defects as well as bad repairs would be the second and third most frequent causes.

“In summer, many of them are caused by overloading the vehicle, which causes the transmission to overheat,” he explained in an interview with Global News. The latter added that the risk of fire in the event of a breakdown is high when it is warmer.

Winter also brings its own set of risks, such as accidents caused by slippery road surfaces, says National Director of Consumer and Industry Relations for the Insurance Bureau of Canada, Rob de Pruis, who adds that the Summer heat poses "additional challenges" for motorists.

“Different seasons bring different circumstances,” he clarified.

When you smell a burning smell in the car and it is accompanied by apparent smoke, you must get out of the vehicle and go 50 to 70 feet away in addition to calling the fire department. The vehicle should take some time before catching fire, so all passengers should have time to get out.

The best way to prevent such an event is to carry out regular maintenance and the necessary repairs.

"It's really one of the most important things you can do to prevent any kind of fire that might happen, whether or not you're involved in a collision," de Pruis said.