Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a US expat and her husband who are feared to have died while trying to flee the devastating Los Gallardos wildfire in Almeria.

Friends identified the couple as Ana Sims and Pedro Rodriguez, who lived in the nearby village of Bedar.

The pair had initially been reported missing as the wildfire tore through the area on Thursday, with desperate appeals shared across social media as family and friends searched for information.

One friend, Claire Emma Butler, wrote: ‘Ana Sims and Pedro Rodriguez… their daughter is in contact with the police and still no news.

‘Their daughter is going out of her mind with worry. Ana and Pedro are so loved by family and friends.’

Overnight, another alleged close friend, Jack Hart, claimed the couple had been found dead.

He wrote: ‘I just heard from Ana Sims’ life-long best friend that Ana and Pedro died in Spain’s Bedar wildfire.

‘They tried to escape. The police are awaiting the results of the DNA, but they identified Pedro’s car and found two bodies close to it.’

Hart described Ana as ‘a beacon of joy to all who knew her’ and encouraged those who knew her to visit her Facebook page to remember ‘her deep, wide, meaningful and very happy life.’

Authorities have not yet formally confirmed the identities of all those killed, with DNA testing continuing after several victims were left unrecognisable by the intensity of the blaze.

The Los Gallardos wildfire is now Spain’s deadliest in decades, claiming at least 13 lives after sweeping through thousands of hectares of countryside.

Investigators believe several victims became trapped in their vehicles while attempting to escape as the fire spread rapidly under extreme heat and strong winds.

Tributes continue to pour in online as friends and loved ones remember those who lost their lives in one of Andalucía’s worst-ever wildfire disasters.