Police in Peoria, Illinois, ordered people within about a mile of the BioUrja Renewables ethanol plant to leave Friday after a reported bomb threat, ABC News and ABC7 Chicago reported^1,2.

The plant, formerly an ADM facility, is on Edmund Street along the Illinois River area of South Peoria^2,3. ABC News said officers closed most nearby streets while searching the site¹.

WGN, citing WMBD, reported Police Chief Brad Dixon said the company contacted police about 1 p.m., a suspicious package was reported about 2 p.m., and at 6:45 p.m. it was treated as a credible threat that set a blast radius for the evacuation, including parts of East Peoria³.

At a news conference after midnight Saturday, Dixon said a device had been found and that an exhaustive search of the large plant was not finished, so the order remained overnight, with another update expected at noon Saturday³. FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Ryan Presley said his office was assisting and that the threat had been rendered safe³.

Gov. JB Pritzker said he was monitoring the situation and had directed Illinois State Police to work with local agencies^1,2. ABC News reported a nearby concert was canceled on the police chief's instruction¹. Motive, a suspect and how many devices were involved were not detailed in the accounts^1,3.

WFLA and FOX 2 St. Louis, both carrying WMBD, quoted East Peoria Mayor John Kahl and Peoria Mayor Rita describing a credible threat and directing people in a one-mile zone to Manual Academy, where the Red Cross was present^5,6. The New York Times independently reported the mayor said a bomb was found; that wording is not reproduced here⁴.