An evacuation order remained in place Saturday after a “credible threat” to a Midwest plant responsible for processing combustible materials: “We know it’s a bomb.”
The Department of Homeland Security joined the U.S. Coast Guard and the FBI in assisting state and local police Friday at the BioUrja Renewables plant in Peoria, Illinois. It was there that the discovery of an explosive device prompted the evacuation of more than 5,000 residents as an investigation was underway to secure the facility and track down the perpetrator.
“A device has been identified. We know it’s a credible threat. We know it’s a bomb,” said Peoria Mayor Rita Ali (D) when speaking with reporters.
Likewise, during an early morning press briefing, Peoria Police Chief Brad Dixon noted that while these kinds of threats normally prove “illegitimate,” “This is not the case here. We found a credible package there deemed to be a threat … We’re not considering this a hoax.”
Among the flammable and combustible materials processed by BioUrja Renewables, the plant distills ethanol. In securing the area, an evacuation zone was established encompassing a one-mile radius around the plant extending to both sides of the Illinois River in Peoria and East Peoria.
“While it is early in the investigation, know this,” said FBI Special Agent Ryan Pressley. “We will work tirelessly to identify the individual responsible and bring them to justice.”
A Fox News report Saturday morning included a video from Illinois Rep. Eric Sorensen (D) who, along with state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D) and state Sen. David Koehler (D), was among those taking shelter in Manual Academy high school in Peoria while others gathered at the EastSide Centre sports complex in East Peoria.
Urging locals to heed evacuation orders, the lawmaker said, “… we have to keep our first responders first and foremost in our hearts and thoughts and our prayers because they’re working all night to make sure that they can give the all clear and we can be safe here in the city of Peoria.”
🚨 BREAKING: Thousands of people have been EVACUATED in Peoria, Illinois, after a BOMB WAS FOUND at an ethanol plant.
Police ordered everyone within a 1-MILE RADIUS to get out. Bomb techs rendered the package safe around 9:12 PM, but the police chief says “THE AREA HAS NOT BEEN RENDERED SAFE.”
The evacuation stays in place while the plant is searched. Police won’t comment yet on any suspects.
First responders worked through the night to keep families safe.
Whoever planted a bomb at a chemical plant next to thousands of families needs to be found and locked up.
Pray for Peoria.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) November 14, 2026
In 2022, an explosion at the same facility reportedly resulted in $2 million in damage.
With an official update from officials expected Saturday afternoon, Sorensen released another statement in the morning on X urging the public to, “Continue to pray for the safety and well-being of law enforcement on scene at BioUrja in Peoria. Essential: We must make sure that everyone stays one mile away from the plant.”
“It may take much of the day or even the weekend before officials can give an ‘all clear.’ An update is slated for early this afternoon. Many neighbors will need to be out of their homes and I am thankful for the hospitals coordinating medicine and medical support,” he went on. “The love and compassion in Peoria is incredibly strong. We will get through this and the person responsible will be found, prosecuted, and locked up. Please remain calm, patient, and safe.”
Continue to pray for the safety and well-being of law enforcement on scene at BioUrja in Peoria. Essential: We must make sure that everyone stays one mile away from the plant.
It may take much of the day or even the weekend before officials can give an ‘all clear.’ An update is slated for early this afternoon. Many neighbors will need to be out of their homes and I am thankful for the hospitals coordinating medicine and medical support.
The love and compassion in Peoria is incredibly strong. We will get through this and the person responsible will be found, prosecuted, and locked up. Please remain calm, patient, and safe.
— Congressman Eric Sorensen (@RepEricSorensen) November 14, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
- Explosive device forces mass evacuation at Illinois ethanol plant - November 14, 2026
- ‘F the Iranian leadership’: Scott Bessent blasts WSJ over alleged security breach - November 14, 2026
- ‘She was sleepy’: No charges for woman who plowed into soccer field, killing two - November 14, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.