Bomb found at Peoria ethanol plant prompts evacuation of thousands, FBI probes

Discovery and evacuation

The BioUrja Renewables ethanol plant notified police of a bomb threat at 1:08 p.m. on Friday, 13 November, according to Police Chief Brad Dixon. By 2 p.m. officers had located a suspicious package, and nearly five hours later they identified it as a credible bomb. Evacuation orders reached nearby residents around 7 p.m. that evening. Bomb technicians rendered the package safe by 9:12 p.m., but the one-mile evacuation zone stayed in place, covering sections of Peoria and of neighboring East Peoria across the Illinois River. Officials said more than 5,000 residents and workers had been evacuated. A shelter at a local high school held about 75 people when Dixon spoke shortly after midnight.

What officials said

Mayor Rita Ali said the device was a real threat and that officials did not know whether other devices were present. She described the site as holding ethanol and highly flammable chemicals, which she said is what alarmed the city. Ali told reporters:

“We know that is a real threat. We know it is a bomb.”

Dixon said at the early Saturday news conference that investigators were still searching the facility and that the evacuation order remained in effect. He told residents inside the blast radius to get out, and asked them to take the evacuation seriously:

“Let us know if you need help, we'll help get you to resources.”

State senator Dave Koehler, speaking at the same news conference, rejected the idea that the threat was a hoax and said the situation had gone well past that stage.

Investigation and public response

The FBI's Springfield, Illinois, field office is working with Peoria police. Special Agent Ryan Presley said agents would pursue those responsible and bring them to justice, and he declined to give further details. Dixon declined to say whether anyone had been identified or apprehended, and as of early Saturday no arrests and no injuries had been reported. Officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the scene. Governor JB Pritzker urged residents to follow instructions from law enforcement and stay away from the area. Country singer Jon Pardi cancelled a Peoria concert scheduled for Friday, citing an active local safety concern.

Wider disruption the same day

The same day, a nationwide ground stop of about four hours halted new flight traffic across the United States. According to FlightAware, as cited by the Washington Post, some 9,000 flights were canceled on Friday, 13 November, and more than 2,000 had been canceled so far on Saturday, 14 November. Separately, a tanker struck a moored cruise ship on the Mississippi River in New Orleans that afternoon. Passengers were pulled from the water after the vessel capsized, and more than 30 people were injured, with no deaths reported.