FLINT, Mich. (AP) -- Flint officials say a federal grant has allowed 34 laid off firefighters to return to work and two fire stations to be reopened.
The city said Monday in a release that it also expects to hire five new firefighters by July 1.
The Flint Journal says the moves are funded by a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, which expires May 10, 2012.
In March, Flint laid off firefighters and police officers to help close a budget deficit. The cuts have been accompanied by a wave of arsons, many in abandoned homes.
Flint, about 55 miles northwest of Detroit, has lost tens of thousands of auto jobs in recent decades. Its population has fallen to about 115,000 from a peak of about 197,000.