Gov. Deal expands drought declaration, bans fireworks in much of parched Georgia

ATLANTA (AP) Due to the ongoing drought and the risk of wildfires, Gov. Nathan Deal has banned the ignition of all fireworks in much of the state.

Several news outlets reported that Deal issued an executive order on Monday to expand a Level 1 drought declaration across 110 of Georgia's 159 counties.

The affected counties are across northern Georgia as well as all of the counties that make up metro Atlanta.

The Level 1 declaration requires public water systems to inform customers about the dry conditions and encourage conservation, though it doesn't restrict water use.