What is the difference between “flame” and “fire”?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
Great question. The two are actually related as a "fire" can be made up "flames". Generally, when we see "flames" it is because something is on "fire". However, a candle would be considered to be a "flame" and not a "fire" as it is singular. A "ball of flame" sounds more dramatic than just "on fire" and I think that's why it is used here. Ex: The flames of the fire were red hot. Ex: Blow out the flame of the candle.