Bomb Found at Peoria Ethanol Plant Forces Mass Evacuation, FBI Joins

A bomb was found Friday at an ethanol plant in Peoria, Illinois, prompting an FBI-assisted investigation and the evacuation of thousands of nearby residents, the Washington Examiner reported in a post on X.

The device was found at the BioUrja Renewables facility and was rendered safe Friday night, but a one-mile evacuation zone remained in effect Saturday while officers searched the site, according to NBC News and NBC Chicago.

A bomb was found Friday at an ethanol plant in Peoria, a central Illinois city of about 110,000, officials said, sparking an investigation involving the FBI and forcing the evacuation of thousands of people living nearby. https://t.co/kiA4e31VIu

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) November 14, 2026

How the threat unfolded

Peoria Police Chief Brad Dixon said BioUrja notified police around 1:08 p.m. Friday that the company had received a bomb threat, 104.9 The Wolf reported. A suspicious package was received around 2 p.m., and by 6:45 p.m. authorities determined it was a credible threat and set up the one-mile evacuation radius, Dixon said, according to the station.

Bomb technicians rendered the device safe at about 9:12 p.m. Friday, Dixon said, Just The News reported.

“A device has been identified. We know it’s a credible threat. We know it’s a bomb,” Peoria Mayor Rita Ali told NBC affiliate WEEK, according to NBC News. Ali cautioned that “we don’t know if there are other devices,” NBC Chicago reported.

Search and evacuation continue

Dixon said early Saturday that the facility “has not been rendered safe” and that “there’s going to be an exhaustive search of the facility that has not been completed yet,” NBC News reported. He declined to say how many devices were found or where, according to NBC News.

The evacuation zone covers parts of Peoria and neighboring East Peoria, and more than 5,000 people were evacuated, Just The News reported. About 75 people were staying at an emergency shelter at Manual Academy early Saturday, with the American Red Cross providing beds, 104.9 The Wolf reported.

Interstate 74 has reopened, but numerous road closures remain around the facility, Dixon said, according to the station. Police planned another media update around noon Saturday, the station reported.

FBI working to identify those responsible

Ryan Presley, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Springfield office, said federal agents were asked to assist Peoria police, according to 104.9 The Wolf. “We will work to identify the individual responsible,” Presley said, the station reported.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker urged residents to “follow directions from law enforcement and stay clear of the area,” NBC News reported.

The threat also forced the cancellation of a Jon Pardi concert at the Peoria Civic Center and a holiday event at Dozer Park, according to NBC News.

Sources

• Washington Examiner on X
• NBC News: Device deemed ‘credible threat’ triggers evacuation around ethanol plant in Peoria
• NBC Chicago: Bomb found near Peoria ethanol plant
• 104.9 The Wolf: Explosive device rendered safe at BioUrja
• Just The News: Bomb found at Illinois ethanol plant

Reporting by Daily Beltway.