Wisconsin Couple Dies As 'Highly Dangerous' DIY TikTok Trend Goes Wrong, Authorities Issue Warning

A Wisconsin couple died after they attempted a viral DIY TikTok trend that went horribly wrong, law enforcement officials said.

The duo was electrocuted while attempting a dangerous wood-burning technique. The “fractal burning” technique creates lightning-like patterns by passing high-voltage electricity through wood that's been soaked in a chemical solution. It yields patterns known as Lichtenberg figures, named after the physicist Georg Lichtenberg, AOL reported.

The latest trend is gaining popularity through viral videos on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. However, authorities cautioned people, saying the act was "extremely dangerous and can be deadly."

Tanya Rodriguez, 44, and James Carolfi, 52, were found dead on April 6. Their bodies were in the garage of their Marathon County home, which was also on fire.

The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office initially described the cause of their deaths and the fire as “suspicious,” adding the two died before house was engulfed in flames. As the circumstances surrounding the incident seemed mysterious, authorities launched an investigation into the arson and homicide case, Wisconsin Public Radio reported.

The sheriff’s office, fire marshals and the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory later found Rodriguez and Carolfi died by accidental electrocution when they attempted the dangerous wood-burning technique. Authorities also said the couple had used a disassembled microwave oven for a power supply. No one else was believed to be at the home at the time of the incident.

“Foul play has been ruled out, and the deaths are found to be accidental in nature and believed to be caused by electrocution from fractal wood burning,” Chief Deputy Chad Billeb said at a news conference Thursday.

So far, at least 33 people have died in America as a result of fractal burning, according to the American Association of Woodturners, including an experienced electrician. The group banned the use of fractal burning at all of its events following the incident.

Phil McDonald, the executive director of the woodturners group, told Wisconsin Public Radio he believes the “proliferation” of viral videos about fractal burning has contributed to rising numbers of injuries and deaths.

“The equipment can’t be made safely, and the real issue here is that there are not enough safeguards once those home-based systems are built to ensure that they can be operated safely,” McDonald said.

Billeb said that the patterns created by fractal burning are “very pretty, quite frankly," but "the dangers of the craft cannot be ignored.”

“Taking advice from YouTube or any other social media site in order to a do a craft ... is not safe when you’re dealing with electricity,” Billeb said.