In the central Vermont fires, at least two of the ten hunting camps or rural homes that burned down - including a brand new log home where an out-of-stater planned to retire - had no insurance coverage at all, according to insurance agent Mark Richardson of the M. K. Richardson Insurance Agency of Barre and Chelsea.

"I'm amazed at the number of camps, summer homes,, whatever, that do not have any insurance," Richardson said. The cost of homeowner's insurance, including fire coverage, for these types of properties varies, but is usually not excessive.

According to Richardson, a typical policy for a nice Vermont camp worth $50,000 used year-round and with year-round access would be about $300 per year. Rates can be higher for a property that is only used in the summer, has no electricity, or is a long way from the fire department, he said.

Richardson reported that following the arson outbreak in central Vermont this summer, he received a lot of phone calls from property owners about getting insurance coverage or raising existing coverage levels.

Richardson said his main advice to people was to insure properties to their full replacement value, not just the amount it cost the owner to buy or build the property. "You can take a higher deductible if you want to reduce the premium, but you really need coverage for the full value," he said.

Richardson said installing smoke and fire detectors that are connected by phone to the fire department are usually used only with high-value seasonal dwellings, "like those in Stowe."

The number of insurance companies willing to insure hunting camps and remote seasonal homes in Vermont is declining, he said, but it is still possible to get coverage for these properties. Theft coverage can be included in a homeowner's policy as well, Richardson said, but he noted that owners of very remote properties may find it difficult to get reasonably-priced theft coverage.

"My advice for owners of remote camps is to leave the blinds open and not to leave anything of value there," Richardson said. "Nine times out of ten, a break-in at these properties involves a young person looking for alcohol."

Craig Powers, an insurance agent with W. H. Shaw Insurance Agency in Manchester Center, said his agency handles seven insurance firms, of which six are no longer writing policies for homes with underground storage tanks for oil. He and Richardson said the day may come when it is impossible to get such coverage.

The tanks, usually made of steel, are prone to rusting out and can lead to pollution of groundwater and wells. Under Vermont law, homeowner's policies must accept liability for pollution claims from neighbors, which is causing some companies to refuse to issue homeowner's policies when there is an underground tank, the insurance agents say.

The state does have a Petroleum Cleanup Fund which will provide coverage for uninsured costs associated with oil tank leaks, with a $250 deductible. But most property owners prefer to have homeowner's insurance, which also covers other risks.

Powers said he has heard an estimate that 2 out of 5 homes in Vermont have underground oil tanks. As a result of the potential problems with the tanks, more and more home buyers are putting a contingency in their purchase and sales contract requiring the seller to have any underground oil tanks removed before closing.

The cost to remove a tank runs usually from $1,200 to $2,000, a state official said. The state maintains a list of contractors who will remove the tanks. By law, tanks that are out of service for more than a year must be permanently closed.

The state also operates a program which provides $1,000 grants to homeowners to have underground tanks removed. However, only $100,000 is available each year, starting July 1, and the money goes quickly, which means you may be bumped to the next year's list.

For more information about the grant program or to get a list of contractors, call the state Department of Environmental Conservation at (802) 828-3888.

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