A heartbreaking incident unfolded on Thanksgiving Day when two sisters perished in a house fire on Mosswood Avenue while trying to save their disabled father. The fire, reported around 5 p.m., took the lives of Frantzia Fleury, 49, and her sister, Pojanee “PJ” Fleury, 42. The sisters were pronounced dead shortly before 7 p.m., leaving their home uninhabitable and their tight-knit community in a state of shock and mourning.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation into the fire, which is still in its early stages. Family members reported that the sisters were celebrating Thanksgiving with their family when the fire quickly engulfed the house. Amid the ensuing chaos, the sisters reentered the burning house to assist their father, who is confined to a wheelchair and suffers from dementia.
The fire reportedly ignited shortly after 5 p.m. on Mosswood Avenue, between Heywood and Tremont avenues. As family members scrambled to safety, the sisters courageously went back into the burning house to reach their father on an upper floor. A cousin, Sidney, who asked that his last name be withheld, described the sisters as having “big hearts” and being deeply committed to their family.
One of the sisters resided in the house, while the other was visiting for the holiday. Their father was later rescued and taken to a hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. Seven other individuals managed to escape the fire. The victims were discovered inside the house and declared dead shortly after 6:45 p.m. The exact cause and manner of death will be determined by the Essex County medical examiner.
The fire is believed to have originated on the second floor, but the exact source is still under investigation. The father and six other occupants managed to escape the fire, with the father receiving treatment for smoke exposure. The house has since been declared an “unsafe structure” following the fire.
Frantzia was a Marine Corps veteran and worked as an X-ray technologist, while Pojanee was a creative entrepreneur who founded a community magazine. Both sisters had one child each. The family had been residents of the block for several decades, according to neighbors.
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year for house fires, and the incident drew a large response. Fire crews attacked the flames from the front and rear of the structure while relatives gathered on the sidewalk. Investigators are currently interviewing witnesses, reviewing the 911 timeline, and examining electrical and cooking sources as part of standard procedure. No foul play is suspected at this stage.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined and the investigation is ongoing. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is handling the case with assistance from Orange fire officials. Autopsies will be conducted by the county medical examiner, and the house will remain posted as unsafe until structural inspectors and insurance adjusters complete separate reviews.