200-year-old Jeffrey pine burns after lightning strike in California

Dramatic footage captures the moment a burning pine tree splits in half after it was struck by lightning in California.

The Jeffrey pine, believed to be at least 200-years-old, can be seen on fire before the trunk splits in two and crashes to the ground.

“It was a gorgeous 200-year-old healthy tree that had an unlucky day,” Michael Bogan, who captured the incredible video, tweeted.

Firefighters were later called to put out the flames before cutting down what was left of the trunk.

San Bernardino National Forest have since confirmed that five trees were struck by lightning over the weekend.