transitive verb
mantener una chimenea encendida
Definition 1
With reference to a confined fire, cover with fuel to reduce the air intake and make it burn more slowly. Used metaphorically, as in the context, fuel a controversy to keep it in the forefront of people's minds.
Source: Invertext
Context: This time he [Ronald Reagan] is the front runner, and in an attempt to broaden his appeal, the former California Governor seems to have banked the fires that once frightened more moderate G.O.P. factions.
Source: Time, 26/11/1979