'I witnessed the horror wildfires in France - it made me realise 1 thing'

After an hour-long session of conquering splash park attractions where the average age was way below mine, my sunny afternoon at a lake near the French town of Lacanau gained an unlikely orange shade. I arrived at Le Moutchic beach at 11am. The headline-making wildfires, affecting a nearby Gironde area only 15 miles to the south, could already be seen in the form of smoke rising from the other side of the lake.By 1pm, the smoke turned into a dark mass, covering the sun and turning the beach into what looked like an apocalyptic film set. With phones stuck to their ears, people wandered around anxiously, calling their loved ones to discuss the situation. Others, including myself, took out their cameras to capture the phenomenon, with one photograph ending up in The New York Times."Everyone at the lake, wake up," my sister messaged our WhatsApp group chat from the nearby seaside resort of Lacanau Océan. She told us to go home and pack, as we might be evacuated soon.On our way back, cycling through the dense pine forest, everything was quiet – the only thing I could hear was the cicadas. I wondered whether the wildlife could sense what was happening, as ashes drifted down onto my head....