Update — November 14, 2026, afternoon: Peoria’s one-mile evacuation order was lifted at 1 p.m. Saturday after investigators completed their search of the BioUrja Renewables ethanol plant and found no additional suspicious devices, WCBU reported. The nearby Illinois River closure also ended at 1 p.m.
Police Chief Brad Dixon said the device neutralized Friday night presented a credible threat, but he would not confirm that it was an explosive device or disclose its type. Investigators were still determining what it contained. Mayor Rita Ali had earlier described it as a bomb; Dixon did not confirm that characterization.
A criminal investigation remains underway. Officials did not disclose whether they had identified any suspects.
Clarification: The headline and opening have been revised to describe a suspicious device, rather than a confirmed bomb. Police have not publicly confirmed that it contained explosives. Earlier reporting follows.
Earlier update — November 14, 2026, noon briefing: At a noon briefing Saturday, Police Chief Brad Dixon said no additional explosives had been found, but the one-mile evacuation remained in place as teams continued searching. Dixon declined to disclose the type of device recovered Friday, 25News reported.
The original article follows.
A suspicious device found Friday at an ethanol plant in Peoria, Illinois, prompted the evacuation of people within a one-mile radius. The evacuation order remained in place Saturday morning as authorities searched for additional devices, The Associated Press reported.
Police Chief Brad Dixon said the device at BioUrja Renewables was made safe at 9:12 p.m. Friday, but authorities had not cleared the entire facility. The FBI is involved in the investigation, according to NPR Illinois and WCBU.
Speaking at an evacuation shelter Friday night, Rep. Eric Sorensen urged residents in the affected area to leave. “We need to stay safe right now, because we cannot guarantee the safety of the city of Peoria right now,” he said in video from the scene.
Watch the video of Rep. Eric Sorensen’s remarks.
Authorities had not publicly identified a suspect or established a motive in the reports cited here. The search for additional devices did not establish that additional devices existed.