Two Sisters Die While Seven Others Make It Out Alive at Thanksgiving — Details

A Thanksgiving evening turned tragic when a furious, fast-moving blaze tore through a New Jersey home, claiming the lives of two devoted daughters in a harrowing rescue attempt, leaving behind a broken family and a community in shock.

Two women died while attempting to save their father from a violent Thanksgiving house fire in Orange, New Jersey, on November 27, 2025. Authorities confirmed that seven other people escaped unharmed, but the aftermath of the inferno was nothing short of devastating.

Sisters Make Tragic Last Stand

The fire erupted around 5 p.m., consuming the family’s residence on Mosswood Avenue, between Heywood and Tremont, with terrifying speed. The victims were soon identified: Frantzia Fleury, 49, and Pojanee "PJ" Fleury, 42, two sisters who ran straight into danger for the man who raised them.

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, their father, rendered helpless by dementia and disability, could not flee the flames. As the house burned around them, Frantzia and PJ refused to leave him behind.

Their bravery cost them their lives. Both were pronounced dead at 6:45 p.m. But their sacrifice was not in vain. The elderly father survived, as did six others who made it out alive, untouched by the fire's fury.

A cousin told CBS both women had one child each. "Understand these two women had big hearts, they were deeply devoted to their families, and it’s just a tragedy," he added. Loved ones revealed Frantzia worked in the medical field. PJ was an inventor and author.

The home, however, was lost, as it was declared "uninhabitable" by authorities. The cause of the blaze is still unknown, and investigators are pleading for information. Anyone with details is urged to call the prosecutor’s tip line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

Witnesses Watch in Horror as Flames Spread

Witnesses described the inferno as wild and unforgiving, spreading too quickly for anyone to respond. It was over in moments.

Justin McDaniel, who lives nearby, revealed that he wasn't surprised at hearing that those women had done such a heroic feat, but he wished they were still alive.

Claire Stevens, another neighbor, said fear gripped the entire block as the flames raged. People flooded into the street, trying to console one another as the full horror became clear.

One shaken resident told PIX11 News, "I just came here to look, and then I see the whole fire. That’s heartbreaking, and on Thanksgiving, that's hard. That's really hard."

A Family's Grief Laid Bare

One of their cousins, Giovanny Fleury, shared a heart-wrenching tribute on Facebook, pairing his words with a childhood photo of himself, Frantzia, and his sister, Vicky Fleury, smiling in simpler times. He said the image brought back memories of better days, a time before their world changed forever.

Though Pojanee wasn't in the photo, Giovanny wrote that he could still see her there in spirit, imagining her waiting just out of frame, ready to join them with her signature smile that lit up every room.

He confessed that he missed them both terribly, and that the tears simply wouldn't stop. He spoke of sorrow, of pain, and of the unbearable weight of a tragedy that should never have happened.

"But I find peace knowing you're together now, side by side in the Lord's arms, free from all pain," he finished. "We will love you forever and always."

The local Red Cross has stepped in to assist the survivors, offering temporary shelter, hot meals, and emergency supplies. But no amount of help can ease the pain of a family who lost two daughters, two heroes, on a holiday. Our thoughts are with them at this time.