Lightning bolt decimates tree at Texas school (VIDEO)

A flash of fire and branches turned into a smoking wreck – a dramatic video has captured the moment a tree was struck by lightning at a school parking lot in Texas.

The startling video was recorded by a security camera at Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Catholic School in the city of Tyler on January 21, and later published by local TV station KLTV.

“Shortly after 9:35 yesterday morning [January 21], right after the kids made it to class safely, lightning struck the big tree on the left side of this picture,” wrote Mark Scirto from KLTV, who posted the video on Facebook.