It was a Democrat who did it, IIRC. Ed Rizzo?
Philly’s first black Mayor, Wilson Goode, gave the order to drop the firebomb after a request from the Philadelphia Police Department. It was only supposed to smoke out tbe crazy radicals in the one house. But all the houses on that block were pretty old, with flat tar roofs over old, dried-out wood and tarpaper frameworks. Sparks flew (it was in May) and whoosh! They’re just lucky it wasn’t August—half of West Philly would have gone up in flames.
Frank Rizzo (former Police Commissioner, former Mayor) had already left office. His brother may still have been the Fire Dept Commissioner—I don’t recall.