Can lightning hit my tree — is it going to die, and is it safe to be under? be fixed without removing the tree?

Sometimes, and the correct sequence is make it safe now, decide later. Same-week work is removal of hanging and cracked limbs and loose bark that could fall, done by a climber rather than off a ladder. Then wait — a full growing season, ideally two — before deciding on removal, because a tree that pushes a normal flush the next spring and holds it through August has a real chance, while one that leafs out weakly, drops early, or shows upper-crown dieback is declining. Support during that window is water in drought and mulch, not fertilizer, which forces growth the tree cannot sustain. Remove without waiting when the trunk is split open, when a major stem is cracked through, or when the tree stands over a house or play area and cannot be reduced to a safe condition. Lightning protection systems — a copper conductor run from the crown to a ground rod, installed to the ANSI A300 standard — are a legitimate option for high-value trees, but they are preventive, not a treatment for a tree already struck.