In November 2016, a wave of wildfires and urban fires occurred in Israel from Beersheva in the south to Nahariya in the north.

[4] The largest fire occurred in Haifa, where 527 apartments were destroyed among 77 buildings, leaving 1,600 people homeless.

[12] Officials identify "extreme weather", including high temperatures and dry winds, as helping fires spread.

Some 75,000 residents of 11 neighborhoods were evacuated by firefighters and the search and rescue Kedem Battalion of the Home Front Command.

[19] The fires in Zikhron Ya'akov started on November 22 in the Givat Eden neighborhood in the northern part of the town as a result of arson.

[23] Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said evidence was found indicating that the initial fire was the result of arson involving gasoline.

Two days later, a second fire started in Wadi Kefira below Kibbutz Ma'aleh Hahamisha and quickly spread westward.

It burnt the restaurant, Rama's Kitchen[24] and 25,000 dunams (6,200 acres) in the Kefira nature reserve that surrounds Nataf.

Firefighters from the Palestinian Authority joined the local residents and the Israel Fire and Rescue Services.

[25] After the second fire, remains of Molotov cocktails were found near the separation barrier and a Palestinian from the West Bank was arrested on suspicion of arson.

[47][48] Gilad Erdan, Israel's public security minister, told Army Radio that the professional assessment was that almost half the fires were the result of arson.

[11] Cyprus, Greece, Russia, Croatia, Italy, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Azerbaijan, France, and Ukraine sent aircraft and other equipment to help fight the fires.

[54] Croatia sent two CL-415 with four crews (to ensure non-stop turnaround) on November 23, immediately after receiving Israel's request.

[56] Greece sent three firefighter planes (CL-415, a C-130) with 18 airmen, 14 technicians, and operation support supplies, on November 23, immediately after receiving Israel's request.

[58] The Israeli tax authority had published a list of settlements that will receive funds for rebuilding the lost property where they are considering the fires being an act of aggression.