Underground coal seams are part of the landscape in eastern Montana, and can burn unnoticed for years. As summers get hotter and drier, the quiet burns can get out of hand, as happened with the Richard Spring Fire last summer. Mapping the smoldering seams is one way to address the risk early, and Custer County Disaster and Emergency Services, in partnership with tribal, local, state and federal agencies, is working to get that data out to the public.