Mike

>>It is? Not only do I not recall ever hearing or reading it, Google doesn't turn up a thing.<<

Gosh, does it really matter?! Oh well, if I go to Google and look up

fan embers to flame

I seem to find quite a few references.

There are even web sites using this common figure of speech- try http://www.emberstoaflame.org/

For a nice poem, try http://www.illinoispoets.org/poems0600.htm (search for 'fan')

See http://www.univ-relations.pitt.edu/pittmag/sep96/disasterh.html for an example of how fanning embers into flame can cause disaster.

>>Do you happen to remember where you encountered this common figure of speech?<<

Not sure. Maybe in outdoors training- when in wooded areas we were taught to make absolutely sure fires are completely out with no embers, because wind can...

Actually "fanning the embers" can have more than one meaning, and I have a sneaking suspicion you are indulging in one of those right now ;-)

JR