ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — An explosion at a gas station in 2011 in St. Augustine is now the basis for a new documentary.
It was the BP gas station fire on State Road 16 and Masters Drive, and the film will be shown at the St. Augustine Film Festival next week.
"Behind the Smoke" captures moments from the day the gas station caught fire and exploded in 12 and half years ago. It zeroes in on the struggles firefighters deal with.
Filmmaker Jacob Whitley told First Coast News, "They’re not impervious to injury themselves. They themselves deal with emotional struggles. When you end up with things like PTSD and depression."
The film revolves around the story of one St. Augustine firefighter, Michael Riley. He had been firefighter for 30+ years. He was at the gas station fire. Riley survived, but that fire is believed to be the catalyst for the illnesses he later battled.
Whitley said, "He basically ended up being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and several other things that ultimately led to him having to leave the fire department. He ended up unfortunately passing away at the end of last year."
Riley’s wife, Lani, took care of him as he declined. She is the one who contacted filmmaker Whitley, pitching the story of a documentary about the dangers of toxic smoke.
In the film, she says, "Firefighters are not disposable. They do this job because they love the community."
Lani Riley declined an interview with First Coast News for this story, indicating she is still in the grieving process. However, she said in a statement, "'Behind the Smoke' is a collaborative effort of all the interviewees involved. I am deeply moved by their willingness to use their own experiences and personal sacrifice to bring to light the impacts of firefighter occupational exposures.”
In the film, firefighters from the First Coast and from different states share their experiences. It all ties into a gas station fire that rocked St. Augustine, the people on site… and the firefighters who braved it.
You can see the film “BEHIND THE SMOKE” at the St. Augustine Film Festival next Thursday, January 11th at 7;30 pm. It will be shown at the Lewis Auditorium, which is part of Flagler College.