Bomb at Peoria Ethanol Plant Forces Mile-Wide Evacuation; Search Continues

A credible explosive device was found Friday at the BioUrja Renewables ethanol plant in Peoria, Illinois, prompting a mandatory one-mile evacuation that remained in effect into Saturday as authorities continued searching the large industrial site for any additional devices.

Peoria Mayor Rita Ali confirmed late Friday that the package was a real bomb, telling reporters, “A device has been identified. We know it’s a credible threat. We know it’s a bomb.” Police Chief Brad Dixon emphasized it was not a hoax, stating that while most bomb threats prove illegitimate, “This is not the case here. We found a credible package that we deem to be a threat.”

The facility, located at 1 Edmund Street in South Peoria along the Illinois River, is a former Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) plant that produces ethanol and alcohol products for fuel, beverages, and industrial uses. BioUrja notified Peoria police of a bomb threat around 1:08 p.m. Friday. Officers located a suspicious package around 2 p.m. and called in additional resources. Authorities determined the package posed a credible threat around 6:45 p.m., establishing a one-mile blast radius covering portions of Peoria and neighboring East Peoria. Evacuation notifications went out around 7:02 p.m., affecting thousands of residents and workers. Temporary shelter was established at Manual Academy.

Bomb technicians rendered the device safe around 9:12 p.m. However, Dixon said the area around the plant had not been fully cleared and that an exhaustive search of the sprawling facility was ongoing and expected to continue well into Saturday, possibly late afternoon or beyond. No injuries have been reported, and no arrests have been made as of early Saturday. Officials planned further updates later in the day.

The multi-agency response included Peoria police, the FBI’s Springfield office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Illinois State Police, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker directed state police to assist local authorities. FBI Special Agent Ryan Pressley said investigators would “work tirelessly to identify the individual responsible and bring them to justice.” Streets in the area were closed, Interstate 74 was shut down in both directions near the site, and river restrictions were in place. Some nearby businesses adjusted operations, and at least one concert was canceled.

The presence of ethanol, alcohol, and other chemicals at the riverfront facility heightened concerns over the potential blast radius. East Peoria Mayor John Kahl and state officials also urged residents in the zone to evacuate and stay clear. No motive or suspects have been publicly identified.

As of early Saturday, the evacuation order and road closures remained active while the search for any further devices continued. Authorities have stressed that the public should continue following directions from law enforcement until the area is fully cleared.