What does stoking a fire do?

To stoke is to poke a fire and fuel it so that it burns higher. Stoke can also mean "incite" — a principal's impassive silence in the face of requests for more tater tots might stoke the flames of student anger.

Should you poke a fire?

When burning wood as a fuel, there should always be flames until the fire reaches it third and final phase of combustion, the embers or charcoal stage. ... If you are using an open fire it may be necessary to poke the fire to introduce more air or add additional kindling to reinvigorate the fire.