CalWildFire: A high-resolution in situ dataset for wildfire analysis and modeling in the Mediterranean region

Wildfires pose a persistent threat to ecosystems and human safety, particularly in Mediterranean regions where rising temperatures and prolonged droughts exacerbate ignition and spread conditions. Effective risk assessment and forecasting require datasets that integrate meteorological, environmental, and anthropogenic factors with high spatial and temporal fidelity. The CalWildFire dataset contributes to addressing this need by providing a comprehensive collection of wildfire and meteorological data for the Calabria region (southern Italy), derived from in situ ground-based observations managed by the regional environmental agency (ARPACAL). Unlike existing datasets that rely primarily on reanalysis or satellite-derived products, CalWildFire includes 11 years (2008-2018) of daily validated direct meteorological measurements and field-based burned area records, enabling precise analyses of fire occurrence and behavior. The dataset also provides fire weather indices, recalculated from ground data following the Canadian Fire Weather Index methodology. CalWildFire represents a unique, high-quality resource for advancing wildfire prediction, and risk mapping in Mediterranean and similarly fire-prone environments.