to fan the fire

This man darted past me on the stairs going up to a pedestrian bridge, carrying feather fans. I've seen them used by the men who sell corn in the street, heated over a grill covered coal fire.

And it seems that everything today is about heat.

The sun, the humidity, it wraps itself, right under your skin, bursting out in ways that make you feel like you're about to catch fire.

You can see it in the way people walk, ever so slightly slower, their eyes narrowed, squinting into the thin air.

And this man, he's carrying the feathers

to fan the fire.