EASTSIDE BIVY ARSONIST ARRESTED
Published in the May 23, 2026 issue.
Early Tuesday morning, at approximately 1:51 a.m., the Bishop Police Department and the Bishop Fire Department were dispatched to a fire with entrapment engulfing the Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy on Main Street.
The departments worked together to evacuate the 22 residents occupying rooms at the guesthouse onto the unaffected front lawn of the property.
“Our officers did a ridiculously fundamental job getting people evacuated,” Bishop Police Chief Nate Derr told the Sheet.
While the Bishop PD assisted with the evacuation, Fire Chief Bret Russell established and maintained command of the situation. Russell promptly received information from the police department that all occupants had made it out safely from all structures on the property. When the fire was contained, command was passed to Captain Hector Martinez to continue to mitigate hazards.
A multi-agency investigation was launched after suspicious items were located on scene. These items have not been named yet, as the investigation is still open.
“Right off the bat, we recognized what we had,” Derr said. “We didn’t fear for the rest of the public’s safety.”
Through collaboration between the Bishop Police Department, Bishop Fire Department, Inyo County Sheriff’s Department, Inyo County District Attorney’s Office, and CalFire Arson and Bomb Investigations, the agencies identified a suspect: 45-year-old Narcona Stephenson of Ridgecrest.
Investigators subsequently arrested Stephenson. She was charged with seven felony counts of attempted murder, two felony counts of arson causing great bodily injury, and one felony count of arson of an inhabited structure.
Stephenson also has numerous pending warrants in Kern County, including one count of a parole-type supervision breach after being released from state prison, one misdemeanor for being under the influence of a controlled substance, one misdemeanor for possession of unlawful paraphernalia, and one misdemeanor for unlawful possession and use of tear gas or a tear gas weapon.
“Additionally, it is alleged that Ms. Stephenson was previously convicted of a ‘strike’ offense under California’s Three Strikes Law, stemming from a 2017 conviction in Inyo County Superior Court,” Inyo County District Attorney Dana Crom wrote in a press release. “If convicted of all charges and enhancements, Ms. Stephenson could be facing life in state prison.”
Stephenson is being held at the Inyo County Jail on a $500,000 bail. She remains subject to a “no bail” hold from a pending post-release community supervision violation in Kern County. Her next court appearance is set for May 26 in Independence.
No motive has been named due to the open status of the investigation.
Ashely Blocker, one of the owners of the guesthouse, hypothesized drug use was involved. She emphasized that the investigation is not conclusive.
The event was “scary” for Blocker and her family, but they are finding peace through it.
“We’re Christians, so we have a lot of peace from the Lord about all of this,” Blocker said. “We know he’s going to work it for good, because we love him. We’re shaken, for sure, but we’re going to rebuild, and he’s going to provide for us.”
The Eastside Guesthouse and Bivy will continue to stay open through Mule Days.
