A lightning bolt struck a tree next to the Revelstoke RCMP detachment parking lot on Saturday afternoon, sending a shower of large splinters across the parking lot.
The strike ripped a strip out of the tree from top to bottom, and also dug a small trench near its base. It also kicked off a small chunk of curb, moving it a couple of metres.
A few pieces of wood the size of rolling pins were flung about 50 metres, some landing down Third Street closer to the Powder Springs hotel.
The blast set off a commercial alarm about half a block away.
It didn't appear that anyone was injured in the strike, but the tree's future looks questionable.
Residents living near downtown Revelstoke heard three distinct lightning strikes just after 5 p.m., followed by a sudden downpour.