Deliberate Four-Alarm Fire at West Philadelphia Apartments Linked to Landlord Phil Pulley, According to Police
The Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office has concluded that a significant four-alarm fire that devastated a vacant apartment building in West Philadelphia was intentionally ignited. This finding has prompted the police department’s Southwest Detectives Division to initiate an arson investigation.
The blaze occurred around 5 a.m. on Saturday at the Admiral Court apartment complex, located at the intersection of 48th and Locust Streets. This four-story building, notorious for its neglect under landlord Phil Pulley, had remained vacant for several years. More than 150 firefighters and support personnel responded to the incident, managing to bring the fire under control within approximately two hours. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, although around 750 residents in the vicinity experienced a temporary loss of power due to the fire.
Admiral Court has been unoccupied since all residents were evicted in 2018, with Pulley citing plans for a sale at that time. That sale, however, never occurred. Instead, Pulley acquired a million mortgage on the property, which also included an adjacent complex known as Dorsett Court, which has likewise remained vacant. Since then, Pulley has reportedly defaulted on this loan, ostensibly intended for construction work, while both properties have continued to show signs of significant decay, accumulating numerous violations from the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections.
Records indicate that Admiral Court has been cited 33 times since its vacancy began, with several fire code violations noted as recently as 2022. The building most recently failed a reinspection in March 2025.
City officials have stated that, according to their records, Admiral Court remains under the ownership of a limited partnership associated with Pulley and his management company, SBG Management, which purchased the property in 2004. However, representatives for Pulley claim that the property has been sold, further complicating the ownership situation. Court records reveal that a company based in the Cayman Islands, Descartes Specialty Finance, has pursued Pulley’s company in court following a default on the mortgage.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, whose district encompasses these abandoned buildings, has vocalized the necessity for the city to better enforce accountability among landlords like Pulley, emphasizing their responsibility to uphold property standards regardless of occupancy.
The lingering effects of the fire were evident days later, with residual smoke affecting nearby residences. Local residents raised concerns about the building’s long-standing vacancy, particularly in a city grappling with a housing crisis.
This incident underscores ongoing maintenance and regulatory issues surrounding Pulley’s properties. He has previously faced legal challenges, including an ongoing consumer-protection lawsuit filed by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, which accuses Pulley and his businesses of neglecting tenants’ safety and basic needs. As investigations unfold, the future of Admiral Court remains uncertain amid a backdrop of mounting scrutiny over Pulley’s real estate practices.
Media News Source
