NJ mom loses 2 boys, her mother in second devastating fire

🔥 Victims of West Orange house fire identified

🔥 A prior house fire in October put them in a motel

🔥 Both fires started in the kitchen

WEST ORANGE — A mother of two young boys is grieving their deaths and the death of her mother after a tragic house fire over the weekend.

It's the second time in less than a year that a kitchen fire has forced Mary Drury's family from their West Orange home — but this time with fatal consequences.

Grace Drury, 75, and two boys ages eight and three were killed in the tragic blaze on Liberty Street late Saturday morning, according to Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens.

The older son was an elementary school student in the West Orange School District, said Superintendent Hayden Moore. One GoFundMe fundraiser for the family shared by Moore has raised over $10,000 as of noon Tuesday.

Another verified GoFundMe created by Drury's coworker John Milan Sebik said she is a loving and hardworking mother.

"She had two beautiful boys, who were her world. Just a couple of months ago, there was a fire and she was displaced for months, but luckily everyone was safe," Sebik wrote.

Prior house fire displaced Drury family

It's the second time in nine months that firefighters have responded to a blaze at the home on Liberty Street. Both fires started in the kitchen.

Mary Drury and her boys were home when a fire broke out on Oct. 17, 2023, TAPinto West Orange reported. Her older son noticed the fire and all three were able to get out to safety.

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The fire destroyed their clothes and furniture. They were forced to live in a motel for months after smoke spread through every room, according to the report.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office continues to investigate the cause of Saturday's fire.

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