- The fire has scorched an area about the size of the city of Chicago
- The Rim Fire has burned nearly 144,000 acres in California
- Evacuating residents say they're worried about their homes
- Official: "We're going to do everything in our power to protect" Yosemite
Yosemite National Park, California (CNN) -- A northern California wildfire grew to historic proportions early Monday, becoming the 14th largest in state history.
The sprawling Rim Fire, which has devoured nearly 144,000 acres, has scorched an area about the size of the city of Chicago while more than 3,400 firefighters try to rein it in.
Susan Loesch and Curtis Evans just started settling into their second home in California's Sierra foothills a few months ago. Now, they're worried it could go up in smoke as the massive wildfire spreads.
"This is kind of a little paradise up here for us. ... To think this would all be gone would be devastating," Evans told CNN Sunday.
Flames from the Rim Fire destroy trees on Sunday, August 25, near Groveland, California. The fire had consumed nearly 134,000 acres as of Sunday. 
Fierce flames from the Rim Fire burn near Groveland, which is near Yosemite National Park. 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service firefighter Corey Adams sits on a tree stump as he monitors the Rim Fire near Groveland on August 25. 
U.S. Forest Service firefighters take a break from battling the Rim Fire at Camp Mather on August 25. 
Trees burned by the Rim Fire stand charred on August 25 in Yosemite National Park. 
A burned car sits on the side of the road near Groveland on August 25. 
A Cal Fire firefighter monitors the Rim Fire as it burns through a stand of trees near Groveland on August 25. 
A firefighter douses flames of the Rim Fire in Groveland, near Yosemite National Park, on Saturday, August 24. 
The Rim Fire burns just outside Yosemite on August 24. A top priority is stopping the fire from spreading further into the national park. 
Smoke and flames move along a ridge just outside Yosemite National Park on August 24. 
El Dorado Hills firefighters work to douse a hotspot in Yosemite National Park on August 24. Nearly 3,000 firefighters are attempting to bring the fast-moving fire under control. 
A firefighter douses a spot fire, as he battles the Rim Fire near Yosemite National Park in California. 
Firefighters move in to douse a spot fire on August 24. 
A cow walks through a section of forest that was scorched by the Rim Fire outside of Camp Mather on August 24, near Groveland, California. 
A truck sits scorched outside of Yosemite National Park on August 24. 
Some 2,600 of firefighters were battling the out-of-control Rim Fire on August 24. 
Smoke and flame blot out the horizon as the Rim Fire approaches Yosemite Lake near Groveland, California on Friday, August 23. 
Charred siding is all that remains of a building consumed by the fire. 
Flames eat up trees as the fire continues to burn out of control on August 23. 
A coyote walks across U.S. Highway 120, shut down due to the fire, near Groveland, California, on August 23. 
Smoke from the Rim Fire is seen near Hardin Flat outside Yosemite National Park on August 23. 
A firefighting crew puts out a spot fire that jumped a fire line in Yosemite National Park on August 23. 
The fire approaches the border of Yosemite National Park on August 23. 
Giant plumes of smoke rise up from the Rim Fire near the border of Yosemite National Park on August 23. 
A firefighter from Cosumnes Fire Department monitors a back fire while battling the Rim Fire on August 22, in Groveland, California. 
The Rim Fire has burned 105,620 acres, spreading from Stanislaus National Forest to part of Yosemite, Forest Service on Friday, August 23, spokesman Bjorn Fredrickson said. 
An air tanker drops fire retardant on a ridge ahead of the advancing Rim Fire on August 22, in Groveland, California. The Rim Fire continues to burn out of control and has entered Yosemite National Park. 
A firefighter from the Colorado-based South Arkansas Fire District carries a hose as he monitors the Rim Fire on August 22, in Groveland, California. 
Los Angeles County firefighters hike in on a fire line on the Rim Fire near Groveland, California, on August 22. 
A Tuolumne County sheriff's deputy looks at an incident map of the Rim Fire on August 22, in Groveland, California. 
The Rim Fire burns close to Groveland Ranger Station near Yosemite National Park, California, on August 22. 
A Marin County firefighter works to put out a spot fire that jumped a fire line on the Rim Fire near Groveland, California, August 22. 
Sunlight filters through smoke in a grove of trees burned by the Rim Fire on August 22, in Groveland, California. 
Smoke from the Rim Fire is visible near the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir on August 22, in Yosemite National Park, California. The Rim Fire continues to burn out of control and entered Yosemite National Park on Friday. 
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Rim Fire enters Yosemite National Park 
Firefighters battle Yosemite wildfire Cradling their chihuahua, Cuervo, they prepared to leave the area on Sunday.
"It's scary," Loesch said. "You worry about the firefighters being on the line. ... It's overwhelming."
The wildfire, which remained 7% contained, was spreading primarily to the northeast and east and threatened to grow amid extremely dry conditions and hot weather.
After days of battling the blaze, things were looking up on Sunday, said Vickie Wright, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service.
"We're a long way from complete," she said, "but at least our boots on the ground are getting a better handle on it."
Several helicopters and air tankers were aiding firefighting efforts.
A top priority is stopping the fire from spreading further in Yosemite National Park.
Yosemite fire: Blaze spreads to national park
"The park is a national treasure," she said, "so no matter what it takes, we're going to do everything in our power to protect that park."
While the Rim Fire has consumed at least 12,000 acres in the northwest section of the park, so far it has had little or no direct impact on Yosemite Valley, a popular spot for tourists and home to many of the famous cliffs and waterfalls in the park.
About 4,500 structures, many of them vacation homes, were under threat, according to InciWeb, a federal website that collects information from agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
The inferno threatened the Yosemite gateway communities of Groveland and Pine Mountain Lake just outside the Stanislaus National Forest.
The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office, meanwhile, issued evacuation advisories for the town of Tuolumne and nearby Ponderosa Hill, according to InciWeb. It was not clear how many residents were covered by the evacuation advisory.
Authorities say the Rim Fire started on August 17. The cause is under investigation.
Fire, what fire?
The park typically has 15,000 visitors on a busy summer weekend. August sees an influx of visitors from other countries, a few of whom have called to check on conditions.
Still, there's little indication so far it's keeping many people away.
Ranger programs went on as normal over the weekend and campgrounds were full.
"If somebody cancels, there are 10 people that will take their spot," said Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman.
Yosemite, with hundreds of campground sites and lodging units, had nearly 4 million visitors last year, according to the National Park Service.
What you need to know about wildfires
CNN's Nick Valencia and Gary Tuchman reported from Yosemite National Park and Catherine E. Shoichet and Phil Gast reported and wrote in Atlanta. CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton contributed to this report.
