Around 15 cars a day are set on fire across the Netherlands, but the number has fallen slightly in the first half of 2016 despite fears of an ‘epidemic’ of blazes.

Research by emergency response network P2000 quoted in the Volkskrant said the monthly figure had fluctuated between 350 and 500 a month since the start of 2012, with a peak of 735 in May 2012.

The summer months tend to be peak season: last year’s highest figure of 550 was achieved in August, compared to slightly fewer than 500 in April this year. The New Year festivities also tend to bring a small spike in car fires.

Limburg has the greatest concentration of blazing vehicles, with 684 fires in total since the beginning of last year. Maastricht, Heerlen, Roermond and Weert are the hot spots within the province.

Friesland is the province with the lowest prevalence, while in absolute terms the majority of car fires are in the densely populated major cities – one in six of all incidents takes place in Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam or Utrecht.

The proportion of fires that are deliberately started has increased in recent years as car engines have become safer, according to the insurers’ union Verbond van Verzekeraars. ‘Cars are constantly becoming technically better. If there’s a risk of overheating the lights flash and alarms sound much earlier,’ said a spokesman.