Fire destroys church Explosion hurts two Sycamore firefighters

SYCAMORE - A fire ravaged a church and left two firefighters injured Monday evening, a day after another fire at the building forced the cancellation of a church service. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. John, 327 S. Main St., was "totally destroyed" by the blaze, said Lt. Duane Prather of the Sycamore Fire Department. Damage to the structure is expected to exceed $2 million. Two full-time Sycamore firefighters were injured when their fire crew attempted to open a southwest entrance to the church, Sycamore Fire Chief William Riddle said. The result was an explosion blowing several firefighters across an alley and sending flames and debris high into the air. "This was a backdraft situation that resulted in an explosion," Riddle said, a