Sycamore Fire Chief Bill Riddle said in his 25 years in the firefighting business, he had never seen an explosion such as the one that tore the roof off St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church last year.

The backdraft, which knocked down nearby firefighters and was declared the largest ever documented in U.S. history, was part of a Feb. 9, 2004 fire that destroyed the 65-year-old church. Two Sycamore firefighters suffered injuries from burns and falling debris during the incident.

The blaze is believed to have originated from an earlier fire caused by a church organ malfunction.

Rev. Donald Phelps, the church’s pastor and also the Sycamore Fire Department’s chaplain, said there were times he stood back to look at the burning church and couldn’t believe what he saw.

“It was a huge kick in the stomach,” Phelps said.

Now, one year after the fire, the church is ready to rebuild.

Among the most challenging decisions the church faced was leaving the original site and deciding to rebuild elsewhere, Phelps said.

“It was a major decision, but one we realized made the most sense,” Phelps said.

Phelps said community support has been enormous.

“This community has just been outstanding,” Phelps said. “From the night of the fire even to the current day, people have just reached out and helped us. We will never fully grasp the magnitude of the support we’ve received in this community.”

The church has purchased over 15 acres of land on the northwest side of Sycamore near the intersection of Motel Road and Brickville Road.

Phelps said the new church is expected to hold more than 400 people, with an expanded educational wing for Sunday school programs.

“It’s like we’re starting with a clean slate,” Phelps said. “The future is out there and we’re thrilled.”

The church is expected to sell the original site to Friends of St. John’s Park, a neighborhood group that has raised funds to build a park in memorial of the church.

The church wants the property closed on by March, after which Friends of St. John’s would contact the park district for transfer of the deed, said David Peek, executive director of the Sycamore Park District.

Although there were no deaths, the fire has changed how the department works, Riddle said.

Riddle said the department has brought in experts to teach firefighters how to deal with church fires, which can be more violent because of the buildup of heat contained by stone structures and stained glass windows.

The two firefighters injured in the fire have also recovered, Riddle said. Brad Belanger suffered first and second-degree burns to his hand, and Bill Reynolds’ leg was injured by falling debris.

Riddle said doctors had predicted Reynolds’ rehabilitation would take about two years. He was back on the job in September.