The work of gathering the data, already done
Every wildfire detected by satellite in Italy, with municipality, land-registry sheet, parcel and estimated land cover — ready to compare against the registry of fire-affected land, or to use for filling it in if it's still missing.
How it works: filter by area and time period, open a wildfire to see municipality, sheet, parcel and estimated land cover. Compare it against the relevant municipality's registry of fire-affected land — to check whether it's up to date, or to fill it in yourself if it's still missing. Select one or more wildfires and download the report, in the same format a municipality would use in its own registry.
Indicative data from satellite detection, not an official survey: always verify before institutional use. Sources: NASA FIRMS, EFFIS/Copernicus, Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian land registry).
On "land cover" (Forest, Grassland, etc.): this is an automated satellite estimate (ESA WorldCover, 2021, 10-metre resolution), not a field survey or land-registry record — the Italian land registry does not publish land-use classification as open data, so we cannot read it from there directly.
The producer's declared average accuracy is 76.7% globally (Product Validation Report V2.0, validated by Wageningen University). It is not the same for every class: "Grassland" is explicitly flagged as one of the weaker classes in the product, because from satellite it is easily confused with cropland and shrubland (low vegetation, similar spectral signature). "Forest" (tree cover), on the other hand, is among the high-accuracy classes.
That's why we always show the reliability level alongside the class, and for "Grassland" (medium reliability) or lower a manual check is always required before using it in a report — we do not claim a certainty the satellite data itself does not guarantee.
On the parcel (foglio and particella): the starting point is the position detected by satellite, not a ground survey. Our main sensor (VIIRS) locates a fire with a margin of about 375 metres — far wider than a typical land-registry parcel. The parcel shown is whichever one contains that exact point, but if the point itself is off by a few hundred metres, it can fall in the neighbouring parcel instead of the one actually affected by the fire.
Before using the parcel data for a formal report, always check the immediately neighbouring parcels too — not just the one shown.
There is no single national database where you can check which municipalities have published their registry of fire-affected land — each municipality publishes it (or doesn't) on its own. Here's the real, step-by-step procedure anyone can follow.
Anyone can do this — you don't need to be an association, a journalist, or an official, and you don't have to explain why you're asking. It's free if the documents are provided electronically.
Write to the municipality (a plain email is enough, no certified mail needed) stating what you're looking for — use the municipality, date, and coordinates from this page: "Pursuant to Article 5(2) of Legislative Decree 33/2013, I request the registry of fire-affected land relating to [Municipality], for the area burned on [date] near [coordinates/location]." Also copy the municipality's Anti-Corruption and Transparency Officer (RPCT) — their contact is usually listed under "Amministrazione Trasparente" on the municipality's website.
What this means: within 30 days the municipality must give you a reasoned response — either it hands over the document, or it explains in writing why it's refusing.
What this does not mean: silence does not count as an automatic "yes", and it isn't a dead end either — failing to respond within the deadline simply gives you the right to move to the next step, with no need to send a follow-up first.
Within 30 days of the deadline (or of the denial) you can file a review request with the municipality's own Anti-Corruption and Transparency Officer (RPCT) — the same one you copied in step 1. The RPCT has 20 days to decide, with a reasoned order.
For municipalities and local authorities, you can also contact the regional Ombudsman (Difensore Civico), where one has been established. As a last resort, you can appeal the municipality's or the RPCT's decision to the regional administrative court (TAR) within 30 days.
This guide summarizes the general procedure set out in Legislative Decree 33/2013 (generalized civic access) — it is not legal advice. For complex or contested cases, consult a professional. Sources: ANAC, Ministry of Labour — review procedure.