Two heroic sisters ran back into a burning home on Thanksgiving to help their father, but neither of them made it out.

Officials said Frantzia Fleury, 49, and her sister Pojanee “PJ” Fleury, 42, died after a fire broke out at about 5 pm on Nov. 27 at a house on Mosswood Ave. in Orange, NJ. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the sisters were trying to assist their father, who is wheelchair-bound and has dementia, when they were overcome by flames and were pronounced dead shortly after the fire. Their father and six others escaped without injury.

"These two women had big hearts. They were very deeply devoted to their families. And it's just a tragedy. I don't know how, I don't know how my aunt is gonna deal with this. My uncle, I don't even know if he's aware of what's going on. He's in the hospital right now. He suffered from smoke inhalation," a cousin said.

Family and neighbors described the loss as devastating, both for the timing (Thanksgiving) and for the sisters’ selflessness. A neighbor who witnessed the fire called the scene “heartbreaking” and relatives remembered the sisters as devoted caregivers and community figures. Meanwhile, authorities have declared the home uninhabitable and said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s tip line: 1-877-TIPS-4EC. 

According to reports, Pojanee founded Brown Eyez Magazine in 2007, “a celebration of positive artistry and holistic health” and described on its site as “a community magazine … for and about African-Americans,” according to the publication’s website. Frantzia worked as a radiologic technologist at Clara Maass Medical Center, according to public profiles and family accounts. The siblings leave behind one child each, a loving family, and a community reeling from their sudden deaths. Officials have not released further details as the investigation continues.