An overnight fire at an apartment building in Woodbridge forced 31 people from their homes.

The fire happened at the Hillside Garden Apartment Complex.

The damage is done, but luckily, everyone managed to escape.

Frank Zitani says if not for firefighters literally banging on his door, both he and his cat may not have made it out of their Hillside Garden apartment.

"He was banging, banging on the door as soon as I popped up I smelled smoke so I grabbed my wallet and my keys and I was searching for my cat and he was running around and the fireman came in and helped me look for him,” says Zitani. “I grabbed him and he tore me up, he scratched me up because I was scared."

For good reason, since eventually, the roof collapsed.

Firefighters did all they could to get the upper hand, but it wasn't easy.

There is no word on a cause.