Marathon County Sheriff Releases Results of April 6 Fatal Fire Investigation

Death Caused by Fractal Wood Burning Electrocution

MARATHON COUNTY, WI (OnFocus) – At 6:04 a.m. on April 6, 2022, the Stratford Fire Department was paged to a structure fire at a residence in the 205000 block of Rangeline Road in the Town of Day, Marathon County. The single-family home with an attached garage was substantially damaged by the fire.

At the time, firefighters found evidence of foul play and no homeowner could be located. They alerted Marathon County Sheriff’s Office deputies and a search of the burned structure revealed two deceased persons. Based on the suspicious nature of the fire and unknown cause of death, a criminal investigation was begun.

The Sheriff’s Office received assistance from Wisconsin DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation State Fire Marshals and the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office.

Chief Deputy Chad Billeb provided the following update today:

The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office has completed an investigation of a structure fire and unexplained deaths for an incident that occurred on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, on Rangeline Road in the Town of Day.

The victims have been identified as Tanya M. Rodriguez, 44, and James K. Carolfi, 52, both of the Town of Day. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office would like to express their condolences to the Rodriguez and Carolfi families. We ask that you respect their privacy as they mourn the loss of their loved ones.

As a result of an investigation conducted by the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, the Stratford Fire Department, the Wisconsin DOJ – DCI State Fire Marshals, the Marathon County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, it was determined that the man and woman were deceased prior to the fire. Foul play has been ruled out and the deaths were found to be accidental in nature and are believed to be caused by electrocution from fractal wood burning – a technique in which high-voltage electricity is used to burn lightning, or tree-like patterns into wood that has been soaked in a chemical solution.

Through the investigation it was determined that the fire started in the garage before spreading to the home. We believe that the fractal wood burning equipment that caused the electrocutions likely caused the structure fire.

The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office wishes to alert citizens of the dangers of fractal wood
burning, an art form that has gained popularity on social media sites such as TikTok, Facebook and YouTube. The fractal burning process typically uses a high-voltage transformer, often repurposed from a microwave oven, to flow current across wood items that have been soaked with a chemical solution. This process is highly dangerous and should only be done by trained professionals.

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