Peoria police order one-mile evacuation after credible bomb threat at BioUrja Renewables

Police in Peoria, Illinois, announced that a bomb threat at the BioUrja Renewables plant was deemed credible and instructed anyone living or working within a one-mile radius to evacuate as a precaution. The Peoria Police Department said officers and emergency personnel began investigating the threat at about 6:45 p.m. on Friday and established a one-mile blast radius. Bomb technicians declared the package safe at roughly 9:12 p.m., but a thorough search of the large facility is expected to continue into Saturday.

"When a bomb threat comes in, typically, it's not legitimate, and they're doing it to cause an evacuation of a building or something like that. This is not the case here. We found a credible package that we deem to be a threat. This is ... this is not. We're not considering this a hoax," Police Chief Brad Dixon told reporters.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said he is monitoring the situation and has directed the Illinois State Police to coordinate with local authorities, urging the public to follow law-enforcement directions and stay clear of the area. Most streets around the plant have been closed, and residents and businesses are asked to cooperate with emergency personnel.

A country-music concert scheduled for the evening was canceled because of its proximity to the threat. The performer, Jon Pardi, posted a message to his followers stating the show was called off due to the active safety concern.