The last of the five firefighters to be rushed to hospital after their vehicles crashed off an Inverness road is due to get the all-clear from doctors within days.
The service said yesterday that the four other fire service personnel have all been discharged from Raigmore Hospital already, with the fifth expected to join them in the “very near future”.
A dedicated support group has been set up by the brigade to help them recover and return to work.
They were rushed to hospital a fortnight ago after the two fire engines they were travelling in both went off the B9006 near Culloden Moor while one their way to attend an emergency.
Two of the staff had to be cut out by their colleagues after the incident shortly after 7am on Saturday, February 6.
The fire service has not revealed the cause, however witnesses reported that the road had been icy.
Highland Council later confirmed that the section of the road where the accident happened had not been treated at the time.
The gritters on the route, but were travelling from the other direction.
Investigators are expected to reveal their initial findings imminently.
Last night, a fire service spokesman said: “We launched our internal investigation at the beginning of last week and we’re looking to move at a pace. We’re looking at weeks rather than months.
“The police report will form part of the internal investigation.
“We’ve got one firefighter still in hospital but likely to be released in the very near future.
“A dedicated group has been set-up to help the firefighters during the recovery process.”
The two engines had been dispatched from Inverness fire station after receiving a call about a crash on the B9006 at Cantraybruich at 7.03am on the day.
While on their way to the incident under blue light conditions, both appliances left the road at Newlands of Culloden, and ended up on their sides.
One witness at the scene said vehicles had “spun around” and came to rest facing in the opposite direction to the one they had been travelling in.