Tim Bailey, a Falmouth fire/rescue lieutenant, seriously injured in East Falmouth fire

Zane Razzaq, Cape Cod Times
·1 min read

EAST FALMOUTH — The fire lieutenant injured in Sunday's three-alarm fire on Rivers Edge Road is Tim Bailey, a 19-year veteran of the Falmouth Fire Department, according to Chief Timothy Smith.

The Greg Hill Foundation is now collecting donations to help support Bailey and his family and will match donations up to $5,000.

By Tuesday morning, $40,564 had been raised, exceeding the original goal of $5,000.

"Lt. Bailey has a long road to recovery, including multiple surgeries and a lengthy hospital stay in Boston," according to the Greg Hill Foundation. "As the Bailey Family navigates an abrupt change to their holiday season, any donation you can make to assist the family through this challenging time is greatly appreciated."

A firefighter uses a chainsaw to open up a wall on the second floor of a home at 22 Rivers Edge Road in Falmouth that caught fire Sunday. Falmouth Fire Department Chief Timothy Smith said Falmouth Fire Lt. Tim Bailey was seriously injured when he fell into the basement through a burned out portion of the floor.
A firefighter uses a chainsaw to open up a wall on the second floor of a home at 22 Rivers Edge Road in Falmouth that caught fire Sunday. Falmouth Fire Department Chief Timothy Smith said Falmouth Fire Lt. Tim Bailey was seriously injured when he fell into the basement through a burned out portion of the floor.

Visit thegreghillfoundation.org/falmouth-lt-bailey/ for more information.

What happened

Bailey suffered his injuries on Sunday while fighting a fire at 22 Rivers Edge Road. A neighbor reported seeing smoke coming from the house around 1:35 p.m., according to a press release.

The home was unoccupied.

Bailey and two other firefighters entered the building. About five feet in, Bailey fell through a burnt-out opening in the first floor into the basement and called out a mayday.

After removing Bailey from the building, he was evaluated for injuries and flown by medical helicopter to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. On Sunday at the scene of the fire, Chief Smith called Bailey's injuries significant but not believed to be life-threatening.

House a total loss

The East Falmouth house is considered a total loss, according to the chief.

On Monday morning, the Falmouth Fire Department and other agencies returned to the house to probe the cause of the blaze.

Zane Razzaq writes about housing and real estate. Reach her at zrazzaq@capecodonline.com. Follow her on X @zanerazz.

Times Photographer Merrily Cassidy contributed to the reporting of this story.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: $40,000 raised to help injured Falmouth fire/rescue lieutenant, family