From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishin flamesin flamesBURNburning in a way that is difficult to control When we reached Mandalay it was in flames. They escaped just as the house was engulfed in flames. → flame
Examples from the Corpus
engulfed in flames• The family had tickets for a section of the plane engulfed in flames.• And the ambulance was engulfed in flames before firemen caught up with it.• They reached safety seconds before the cafe was engulfed in flames.• Two of the men were killed instantly, the third was engulfed in flames before he died an agonising death. 