A historic church that served a rural Will County community for more than 150 years was destroyed in a fire Sunday, authorities said.
At approximately 1:35 p.m., an EMS crew with the Beecher Fire Protection District was on the scene of an ill subject call at St. Paul's Lutheran Church when they were alerted to a fire in the church. The crew informed dispatchers and assisted people in evacuating before help arrived, according to authorities.
Upon arrival, firefighters noticed heavy smoke and flames coming from the north end of the church, specifically in the steeple area. One firefighter was transported to the hospital for heat exhaustion.
The building was reported to be a complete loss, officials said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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