The Minister for Police and Emergency Services would like to see more arrests and convictions for car fires, but has backed the response from firefighters and police to the ongoing spate of incidents across the capital.
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Mick Gentleman said current statistics showed a reduction in the average number of car fires each month this financial year from previous years.
But those figures do not include the increased number of car fires over summer, which accounts for the apparent reduction in number from previous complete years.
Firefighters extinguished a car fire at the Hall showground early on Wednesday morning, after it was reported shortly after 2am.
The fire was contained by firefighters who responded quickly and didn't spread, a spokeswoman for the Emergency Services Agency said.
Mr Gentleman said there were two arson convictions last year in relation to vehicle thefts and fires and that he was not aware of any charges from recent thefts but emergency services were well equipped to respond to the incidents.
"We have seen better resources for ACT emergency services and ACT Policing. They're both well resourced to respond to car fires, and police are well resourced to investigate car thefts as well," he said.
Emergency services have attended 18 car fires so far in January, already above the average of 14 a month since July.
According to ACT Policing statistics, police attended 22 car fires on average every month in 2016-17 and 24 a month in 2017-18.
Current statistics only include car fires up until December 14, 2018.
It comes as police have asked for public help to identify a man who set fire to a white Holden Rodeo ute in Greenway last week.
Police alleged the man set fire to the car about 4.50am on Thursday, January 10 in a carpark at the corner of Cowlishaw Street and Reed Street North.
The offender was wearing a black T-shirt, cut off shorts, a backwards baseball cap and had short hair, police said. He was riding a BMX-style push bike.
Earlier this month, The Canberra Times reported more than 50 cars had been set on fire in December, across Canberra suburbs and near suburban pockets of bushland.
In one case, a car was set on fire about 12 kilometres west of Coombs, which spread to surrounding scrub before it was contained.
A car fire caused the Pierces Creek bushfire in November that initially burned out of control before being contained 7 kilometres from Kambah.
A total fire ban was declared for the ACT on Tuesday, with temperatures expected above 40 degrees for three days this week.
The Emergency Services Agency said fires burning on days of "very high" fire danger were difficult to control and flames could be higher than rooftops.
"There is a chance people in the path of a fire may be injured or die. Some homes and businesses may be destroyed," a spokesperson for the agency said.
