Photo of West Kelowna wildfire makes TIME top photo list

A captivating image of the McDougall Creek wildfire in West Kelowna last August has earned a spot in Time Magazine’s top photos of 2023.

The image was captured by Darryl Dyck of The Canadian Press

While the TIME list is unranked, Dyck's image is the lead photo for the online feature.

The West Kelowna wildfire forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 properties and put another 10,000 homes on alert, with about 50,000 residents impacted by various orders and advisories.

West Kelowna was put under the state of emergency on Aug. 16 as the 139-square-kilometre McDougall Creek fire destroyed or damaged nearly 190 properties.

Other photos in TIME's list featured moments of grief, conflict, human achievement, and other breathtaking moments.

The selection shows diverse perspectives, each offering a unique storytelling lens through which these impactful moments are immortalized.

“What has become clear in 2023, a year dominated by the rapid rise of AI imagery, is that photojournalism has become more important than ever,” said Katherine Pomerantz, Director of Photography for TIME Magazine.

“The storytellers who are dedicated to bearing witness to events across the globe in real time are critical in providing lucidity to an otherwise muddled world.

"As such, the weight of responsibility on them to act ethically, and with the highest level of journalistic integrity, is greater now than perhaps ever in history.”

--With files from The Canadian Press