Mr Muslu, or Harry Nowra as he likes to be known, a business name he actually trades under, has owned the property which is home to Lyrebird Dry Cleaners, Crack Fix mobile phone repairers, the Iron Anvil-Tattoo Shop and Nowra Kebabs for almost 50 years.

"When we first purchased the building we used to live upstairs," he said.

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"We own the whole lot - all four shops and a factory at the back."

Multiple fire crews from across the Shoalhaven and further afield from the South Coast and Illawarra were called to the Kinghorne Street location in the Nowra CBD around 1.30am on Thursday, January 28 after reports of the fire.

The fire totally destroyed the dry cleaning business while the other three shops suffered smoke damage.

Mr Muslu admitted it was a "tough day", especially as the complex was "uninsured".

"Because nobody got hurt it does not matter," he said.

Two people who live in the upstairs residence were able to escape before the fire in the dry cleaners took hold.

"The hardest part of it is, it's an uninsured building," he said.

"In the system the insurance company wouldn't take us on due to the tattoo shop.

"We know what happens in some tattoo shops across Australia and because they have problems elsewhere it falls down on everybody.

"When you mention the premises to the insurance company and you say it's got a tattoo business in it they're not interested."

As for the future of the building, early Thursday morning Mr Muslu said it "might have to be knocked down".

Building engineers will no doubt have to inspect the building for any possible structural damage.

An emotional Mr Muslu said "it may all have to go".

"The whole lot, who knows?" he said.

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