SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Despite the availability of fire-suppression systems, bus fires continue to be a serious problem for the bus and motorcoach industry, says a leading insurance industry expert.

But, adds Robert Crescenzo of Lancer Insurance Co., operators can take steps to prevent them and their potentially devastating consequences.

According to Crescenzo, Lancer Insurance has processed more than 120 claims for fires on charter-and-tour buses during the past five years.

While those claims represent only about 1 percent of the claims handled by the company, they accounted for about 6 percent of total claim costs, making them among the most expensive to settle, he said.

The average cost of a bus fire claim is about $80,000, and Lancer has spent about $32 million for such claims since 1997 -- more than for all others except rear-end and ran-off-road claims and those in which buses hit pedestrians, according to Crescenzo.

"Weve all been fortunate that there have been very few physical injuries during our bus fire claims. I would urge you to recognize that is pure luck," he said.

"I think thats a pretty sobering comment coming from an insurance person who would like to talk about numbers and statistics."

Crescenzo made his remarks at the 39th annual California Bus Association Convention and Trade Show here.

So, what causes bus fires, and what can operators do to prevent or deal with them? Heres advice from Crescenzo:

No. 1, purchase and maintain coach tire-pressure monitoring and fire-suppression systems.

Research indicates that 60 percent of bus fires are engine compartment based; 20 percent are wheel well or tire based; 20 percent are electrical or other, according to Crescenzo.

"If you know that 60 to 80 percent of fires could be managed by suppression systems, that is a potential answer to protecting your asset, protecting your claim expenses and for the industry, protecting the costs of these vehicle fires, which is very high," he said.

Improve routine maintenance programs. That includes "checking wiring, inspecting fuel lines and hoses, cleaning engines regularly, following all maintenance recommendations and recalls, watching for under-inflated tires, training drivers on pre-trip inspections.

"Knowing that your maintenance issues often relate to engine compartment electrical fires, that is the key element to managing bus fires, particularly if you dont have fire-suppression systems. . . . Something as simple as a fuel line going over a hot part of the engine can start a fire."

Train drivers on evacuation procedures and fire extinguisher use: "The time for the driver to figure out what do to is not when the bus is burning. The bus will burn in anywhere from five to 10 minutes."

Conduct training sessions with local fire department officials and first responders on bus operations. "I have done a significant amount of first responder and firefighter training around bus fire issues.

"You have a group of firefighters, and I say to them: Open the bus door. They have no idea. Show me the battery electrical area.

"Not only is it positive and educational, there is an opportunity for relationship building with your first responders, rescue folks and fire departments. They will in turn train your drivers on other aspects of fire safety that isnt specific to vehicles."