Electrocution Due to Fractal Wood Burning

Two Case Reports and a Review of the Medical Literature

Abstract

Fractal wood burning is a new technique of pyrography that passes an electrical current through a piece of wood resulting in decorative electrical burns. This practice has become increasingly popular with many walk-through tutorials of the process found online. This includes videos of how to build homemade devices fashioned from disassembled microwave oven transformers. There have been 31 reported deaths and many serious injuries due to fractal wood burning resulting in news headlines, warning statements, and an outright ban of the practice at certain woodworking events. The medical community has begun to recognize the danger of fractal wood burning with a few cases of severe burn injuries reported. We report 2 cases of electrocution from fractal wood burning accidents. The scene investigations were examined, including the similarities in the homemade microwave oven transformers that were used, as well as the autopsy findings. The pathophysiology of fractal wood burning and the creation of Lichtenberg figures is discussed as well as the high-voltage injury patterns seen in cases of fractal wood burning accidents. Other cases of electrical injury from fractal wood burning accidents reported in the news and medical literature were then examined in terms of demographics, burn pattern, cardiac findings, and whether a homemade wood burning device was involved.