The BBC is reporting that two firefighters have been killed while working on fires in Spain.

Two firefighters have been killed in wildfires that have broken out in Spain. The blazes hit near the village of Fornelos de Montes in the country’s northwestern Galicia region, close to the border with Portugal, where several forest fires are still raging.

The exact circumstances of the firefighters’ deaths are not yet known.

Across the border meanwhile, 50 people have been evacuated from a village in Portugal’s Peneda-Geres national park.

Reports say the fire in Spain is still being brought under control.

The regional president of Galicia, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, has cancelled all his appointments to focus on the problem.

More than 230 firefighters are still tackling blazes in northern Portugal. France has sent two water-dropping planes under the European mutual aid system. Northern Portugal continues to be ravaged by wildfires

Earlier this week two Portuguese firefighters were killed on duty, including a 21-year-old woman who died after being trapped by flames.

According to the country’s National Forest Authority, 19,346 hectares (47,805 acres) of forest have been burned and destroyed.

There are reports that three firefighters have been killed recently while working on fires in Portugal. That is an update from an earlier report that two died on fires.

Reuters is reporting that two firefighters have been killed this week on wildfires in Portugal.

Civil protection officials said a female firefighter died, one fireman was badly burned and their team had to be evacuated on Tuesday when they found themselves surrounded by flames after a sudden change in the direction of the wind in Gondomar region.

On Monday, a fireman was killed and another seriously injured when their truck fell into a burning ravine in the mountaineous Sao Pedro do Sul area, where the blaze was only put out on Tuesday after a four-day effort by hundreds of firemen.

Our condolences to the families and co-workers.

UPDATE: August 12, 2010

CNN is reporting that three firefighters have been killed in fires in Portugal.

The following information was distributed by the International Association of Wildland Fire’s Firenet listserv.

Name: Chris Adams

Rank: Ranger 1 (Firefighter)

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Status: Wildland, Full-time

Years of Service: 2

Date of Incident: 02 August 2010

Time of Incident: approximately 1030 hours

Date of Death: 02 August 2010

Fire Department: Arkansas Forestry Commission

Address: 3821 West Roosevelt Road, Little Rock, Arkansas 72204

Fire Department Chief: State Forester John T. Shannon

Incident Description: Firefighter Chris Adams was operating an Arkansas Forestry Commission 2002 International tractor trailer, and was en route to check on the status of an earlier fire. The tractor trailer load reportedly shifted causing the vehicle to cross the roadway center line, go into a ditch and then overturn. The accident is under investigation and undetermined at this time. Adams was reportedly wearing a seatbelt.

Incident Location: The accident occurred on Highway 360, approximately one-half mile east of Highway 29 in Lafayette County, east of Bradley in southeastern Arkansas.

Our condolences go out to his family and co-workers.

Chet Bauermeister, chief of the Franklin Fire District 4 in Basin City, Washington, was killed on June 23 when his snow cat that had been converted to a fire apparatus rolled about 100 feet down a hill while he was working on a vegetation fire.

Here is an excerpt from an article at the Yakima Herald:

Fire District 4 was among fire agencies that responded to a wildland fire in Adams County near the border with Franklin County in the Wahluke Slope area of the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge.

Bauermeister was killed when an ATV he was on flipped over backward on a steep slope, said Pasco Fire Chief Bob Gear.

Another firefighter was riding with Bauermeister. He was taken to a hospital, apparently with minor injuries, said Sgt. Jim Dickenson of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials with Adams Fire District 5, the lead agency on the fire, were reported to be still at the scene of the accident at 9 p.m. and few details were available. The fire was out Wednesday evening.

The Washington state Department of Natural Resources is expected to investigate the cause of the fire, which was on private land. Firefighters from Hanford and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also helped fight the fire to prevent it from spreading to the wildlife refuge.

Bauermeister was the third chief for Fire District 4, taking over the job from his dad, Don Bauermeister, the district’s second chief, near the end of 2003.

Our condolences go out to Chief Bauermeister’s family and co-workers.

UPDATE @ 10:25 a.m., June 25

From an article at the Bellingham Herald:

Bauermeister’s family said Chet didn’t want a formal funeral service as typically is held for firefighters killed in the line of duty and officials said his wishes will be honored.

They will, however, use the community parade July 3 to honor Bauermeister. Fire departments from around the state will be invited to participate.

A celebration of life is planned from 2 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Don Bauermeister’s farm, and a memorial is set for 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Basin City Fire Hall.

Bauermeister’s father said his son wanted people to have a party and remember the good times instead of grieving. His family said his favorite saying was, “Live your life so no one has to tell lies at your funeral.”

A memorial fund in Chet Bauermeister’s name has been established at the Bank of Whitman.