St. Clair Township Firefighters are still on the scene (1:30am) after a fire destroyed a triplex in Brigden.

Chief Walt Anderson says the owner was trying to unthaw some pipes in the building was was a 140 year old former creamery when the wall caught fire.

The owner alerted the other residents and firefighters say the smoke detectors were sounding when the firefighters arrived around 5:30 pm.

Anderson says they tried to contain the blaze but in the end were not able to stop the flames from consuming the building.

Victims Services and the Canadian Red Cross were called in to help. Nearby residents were asked to leave their homes for sometime as the fire raged.