Looks like I was too easy on you Friday! Most of the you correctly noted that this “devil’s fork” is most likely the result of topping by a human or nature:
Given that there are powerlines nearby, and more importantly a view to the water downhill, it’s likely that someone deliberately headed this Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) back. On the other hand, this species will commonly lose branches, and often their leaders, in a windstorm.
In any case, a tree that’s been topped and not correctively maintained is an invitation to disaster, and indeed this tree has sent up numerous new leaders. With the proximity of houses, roads, powerlines, etc., it’s a classic hazard tree. It’s too late to train the tree to a single leader, and the best long-term strategy would be to remove it completely and replace it with a species more appropriate for tiny urban landscapes.
The streets in Athens, Greece are filled with topped off trees as no municipality employs arborists or even botanists and simple laymen just top them off. There’s so many Eucalyptuses trees that are stunted by real bad topping without any electricity cable near them. It’s the owners of flats behind the trees that want a clear view + no falling leaves on their balconies that top them off – and then have their tents drawn low all year long to get some shade…