NORTH UTICA, Ill. (AP) — Lawsuits have been filed, four months after three Chicago men died in an explosion while fishing and making a fire along the Illinois River. Lawyers believe they know how the explosion occurred. They’re accusing construction companies of leaving behind an explosive rod after a demolition project near Starved Rock State Park. The lawsuits allege that the men used the rod to prop up a pan, and that heat caused it to explode. Companies identified in the lawsuits declined to comment. Starved Rock is about 75 miles southwest of Chicago. The men had seven children.
