Valley Oak that lost a large branch 25 June 2015. Gold Springs, Columbia Ca.

This large valley oak lost a large branch at 10:45 pm, 25 June 2015, Gold Springs, Columbia Ca. We heard what sounded like gunshots, off and on for a couple of minutes, followed by what sounded like fireworks going off, before it became clear it was tree falling. There was no loud crash, however. Investigating the next morning, we found that a large branch of one of the giant valley oak trees had fallen, breaking a limb off an adjacent live oak, before ultimately landing in the crotch of the live oak, causing a big rift in its trunk. Click on an image to enlarge it.