Tarantulas on the move near Los Olivos as firefighters battle Caballo Fire

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - A tarantula appeared to be moving away from the charred hillside during a fire near Los Olivos on Labor Day.

The spider was steps away from firefighters as they worked to contain a 70-acre fire that threatened homes and vineyards on Monday afternoon.

Mark Heully of the Santa Barbara Zoo said the tarantula wasn't likely to hurt them.

Heully offered some advice on what to do when tarantulas are nearby.

"If you happen to come across a tarantula the best thing to do is give it some space."

He said they are most active in the evening and may be looking to mate.

"They are out and about looking for food."

Fall is tarantula mating season.

"The males will come out and look for females. They are pretty shy, they are not going to harm you, so if you do come across one, the best thing to do is let them go on their way," said Heully.

Although spiders can bite, they get a much worse reputation from scary movies.