When escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante was apprehended without incident by about two dozen members of a U.S. Customs Border Control Tactical Unit and the Pennsylvania State Police, as well as the assistance of a search canine, a nightmare that played out over 14 nerve-racking days was, indeed, finally over.

No one could have predicted that, by the end of that same day, a major fire would rip through buildings in the heart of Oxford’s commercial district, destroying numerous businesses and apartments. More than 25 families—90 individuals—were displaced by the massive blaze.

The road to recovery for the residents and business owners in Oxford will undoubtedly be a long one.

There will be a long process for county officials and law enforcement to evaluate what went wrong to allow Cavalcante to escape from the Chester County Prison in Pocopson and roam free.

But here is one incredible fact that emerged during the eventful day of September 13, and it shouldn’t be overlooked: During these two shocking events, no one was hurt.

Not one innocent local resident. Not one emergency responder who rushed into danger to protect others. No one.

As improbable as it seems, an escaped killer was on the loose in Chester County for two harrowing weeks and no one was hurt. Thousands of residents lived in the area where the escaped killer eluded police and not one person was hurt. One of the most devastating fires in Oxford Borough’s 190-year history raged hour after hour as September 13 ended and September 14 began. Not one man, woman, child, firefighter, or first responder suffered a serious injury.

That’s one thing that we can all be grateful for.

The common denominators between the manhunt and the fire are the brave men and woman who worked so hard to keep everyone safe.

In this edition of the Chester County Press, Betsy Brantner writes about how two Oxford Borough police officers, Scott Richards and Karlianna Eller, responded to the fire alarms within minutes and entered buildings that were on fire so that they could go door-to-door to evacuate the residents of the apartments. Firefighters from the Oxford Union Fire Company and many other local and not-so-local fire departments battled the blaze for hours to limit the damage. Many of these firefighters are volunteers who risked their own safety to perform their duties.

Over the last two weeks, writer Richard Gaw has reported about how federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel worked collaboratively to track and pursue Cavalcante. Through the heat and the rain, over rough terrain, they tracked an escaped killer—and did it in a way so that everyone in the community remained safe.

In the last few weeks, southern Chester County residents have witnessed heroes at work.

We thank all the police officers, firefighters, and first-responders for keeping us safe.