A pair of heroic sisters — Frantzia Fleury, 49, and Pojanee “PJ” Fleury, 42 — died on Thanksgiving evening after rushing to save their disabled father from a devastating house fire in Orange, New Jersey, authorities confirmed.
The blaze erupted around 5 p.m. inside the family’s Mosswood Avenue home near Tremont Avenue, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said. As flames spread rapidly, the sisters helped guide their father — who suffers from dementia — out of the burning home. Though they ensured his survival, both women were overcome by smoke and flames. They were pronounced dead at 6:45 p.m.
Their father escaped unharmed, along with six other occupants. Officials say the Fleury sisters’ final acts were nothing short of heroic.
Celebrated Women Who Devoted Their Lives to Others
The loss of the Fleury sisters has stunned the community. Relatives shared that:
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Pojanee “PJ” Fleury was an inventor, publisher, and author
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Frantzia Fleury worked in the medical field as a radiologic technologist at Clara Maass Medical Center
PJ’s personal website highlights her work as the author of Who’s Going to Invent That, You?, a memoir exploring her personal and professional journey as an inventor.
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| Pojanee, seen in a social media photo, was a publisher, author and inventor. |
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| Frantzia once posted a touching Facebook photo with her father. |
The African Immigrants’ Commission of New York and Connecticut honored PJ in a heartfelt Facebook tribute:
“Pj was a great, selfless community leader and dedicated community servant… She will be missed dearly.”
Frantzia’s online presence reflected her deep love for her family. Nearly nine years ago, the day after Thanksgiving 2016, she shared a photo embracing her father with the caption #DaddysGirl — a poignant reminder of the bond that ultimately claimed her life.
Neighborhood in Mourning
Residents described the Fleury family as warm, familiar faces in the community.
“I just came here to look and then I see the whole fire… That’s heartbreaking,” one resident told WPIX.
“On Thanksgiving — that’s hard. That’s really hard.”
Neighbor Matthew Mehr shared that his interactions with the family were always pleasant:
“They kept their yard really nice. Whenever I would go for a walk or run, they were super friendly.”
Cause of the Fire Under Investigation
The home has been declared uninhabitable as investigators work to determine what sparked the deadly Thanksgiving fire.
Authorities ask anyone with information to contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office tip line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC (1-877-847-7432).
