The best way to make "flames" is to create then or copy them into paint from either an existing picture or if you fancy yourself an artist you can draw and then scan it. From there you import the picture file directly into the illustrator program you are using and then save.
I know two ways of making flames with illustrator. The easiest is to search for a picture with flames with google or alltheweb. The second way is to draw some rectangles and group them.