After suffering several different arson attacks, Nataf residents were finally allowed to return to their homes on Saturday.
Nataf is located in the Judean Mountains near Ma'ale Hakhamisha, about 15 minutes from Jerusalem, and and falls under the jurisdiction of the Mateh Yehuda Regional Council.
28,000 dunams (about 7000 acres) of forests and nature reserves were set ablaze between Nataf and its neighbor, the town of Mevo Horon. The area is home to an Israeli species of deer.
Residents were finally allowed to return to their homes on Saturday, but firefighting crews are still working hard to prevent the fire from reigniting. A home and a restaurant were both severely damaged by the fires.
The authorities have requested the public refrain from entering the areas hit by arson in the Judean Hills, and in the Menashe forests in the north.