Residents of a Bay Area, California town are confused and upset trying to figure out why at least 50 birds have exploded in recent weeks after landing on a certain stretch of powerline, KABC reports.

While the lede makes it seem at least sort of obvious what’s happening, Pacific Gas and Electric personnel examined the powerline on Bernhard Avenue in Richmond and determined that nothing was wrong with it, issuing a statement saying “We appreciate the concern of our customers in Richmond about the recent series of bird deaths. We have asked the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to evaluate several of the bird corpses. They have shared that the birds show no evidence of electrocution, and that their deaths were caused by trauma, potentially from a pellet or BB gun or a slingshot. PG&E does not believe that there was an issue with our electrical equipment and agrees that these birds were not electrocuted. Neighbors have asked the Contra County Sheriff’s Office to look into this situation. The pole at issue is compliant with avian safe standards, as established by the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee,” despite neighbors’ insistence otherwise.

“I feel like a BB gun doesn’t make a firecracker noise,” said resident Heather Jones. “This sounds exactly like a firecracker.” Mark Hoehner was similarly skeptical of PG&E’s take, saying “It sounded like a firecracker, and a black bird-a starling-just plummeted to the ground. I’ve been under the birds when it happens, and I know where the sound is coming from. It’s coming from up on the pole.”

However, despite differing on the number of birds they were sent to examine – as they only looked at two and not “several” – Cal Fish and Wildlife largely credited PG&E’s version: “Following reports from residents of a Richmond neighborhood who were concerned birds had been killed by electrocution from power lines, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Health Lab received two dead birds for evaluation that had been collected by PG&E. One of the birds was a mourning dove and the other a European starling. CDFW’s Wildlife Health Lab staff found no signs of electrocution in the collected birds. The birds did show injuries consistent with trauma that could possibly have been caused by pellet gun, BB gun or a slingshot. CDFW also received photos of other dead birds found at the location that showed injuries consistent with trauma. The exact cause of the trauma to all of these birds could not be determined. CDFW wildlife officers are investigating.”