parse.py

# Uses data from the GFED4.1 dataset - https://daac.ornl.gov/VEGETATION/guides/fire_emissions_v4_R1.html

import csv
import h5py # pip install h5py

with open('/tmp/burn.csv', mode='w') as csvfile:
    csvwriter = csv.writer(csvfile, delimiter=',', quotechar='"', quoting=csv.QUOTE_MINIMAL)
    csvwriter.writerow(["Year", "Area Burned"])
    for year in range(1997, 2016):
        print("year %s" % year)
        with h5py.File('GFED4.1s_%s.hdf5' % year, 'r') as datafile:
            burned_area = datafile['burned_area']
            total = 0
            for (month, group) in burned_area.iteritems():
                print("month %s" % month)
                for values in group['burned_fraction']:
                    total += sum(values)
            csvwriter.writerow([year, round(total)])