Shisha Square owner dumped by insurance company months before fire
THE owner of a popular Preston shisha bar that suffered thousands of dollars of damage in a fire this morning was dumped by his insurer just months ago.
Shisha Square owner Youssef Algazali, who spoke to Leader as fire crews cleared his bar, said he received an email several months ago telling him his insurance had been terminated because of pending legislation that would affect shisha bars.
“They said because of the new laws, my insurance was finished,” he said.
Firefighters attended the High St building this morning after reports of a blaze spreading from the back of the premises.
Crews smashed the front glass door to gain entry and battled the blaze for 40 minutes before bringing it under control just after 5.30am.
Mr Algazali vowed to reopen despite losing $50,000 worth of stock and suffering what could be hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
“I’ve been here for six years and this is the first time this has happened, we will open up again,” he said.
Fire investigators were today examining the building, which was restricted by police tape.
Mr Algazali said he was glad nobody was hurt. One of his workers, who lives above the shop, was the first to notice the blaze and call triple-0.
New Victorian legislation, to come into effect on August 1, places shisha in the same category as cigarettes, meaning indoor bars like Shisha Square would be forced to change up or shut down.
Shisha, also known as hookah, is believed to have originated in the Mughal Empire, around 500 years ago.
Flavoured tobacco is vaporised in the pipe and inhaled by the user, often in social settings such as bars or cafes.
Health experts have criticised the practise as having similar risks to traditional cigarettes.