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Extreme heat causing vehicle fires

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High summer temperatures have caused 20 to 30 percent more vehicle fires than in other seasons, experts said.

Yu Genling, an official from Wenzhou Fire Station, was commenting on a series of recent vehicle fires across the country.

To decrease the possibility of accidental fires, Yu reminded the general public that lighters, especially disposable lighters, should never be left in a vehicle.

"My lighter exploded earlier last week as it was forgotten in my leather bag, which was left in the sun inside my car, but luckily, it didn't cause a fire," he said.

In Shanghai, an ambulance caught fire near Yan'an road and Loushanguan road at about 10am on July 9.

It was the second vehicle to burst into flames in the city within two days.

On July 8, a double-decker sightseeing bus caught fire around 7 pm in the Lujiazui area of Shanghai's Pudong district. The fire started in the vehicle's engine bay, and firefighters extinguished the blaze after 30 minutes.

No casualties were reported in either accident.

Zhou Meiliang, spokesman for the Shanghai firefighting authority, said high temperatures in the city contributed to the vehicles catching fire.

"Accidents where vehicles catch fire happen throughout the year with summer the high incidence season," he said.

Zhou said the results of investigations into the causes of the recent vehicle fires haven't come out yet but that oil leaks, electrical short-circuits or storing combustible goods in the car are three common fire starters.