TULALIP — Kevin Sullens opened his eyes as an orange ball of fire rolled over his head.

Instinctively, he pulled his cover over his head and grabbed a breath.

He knew he had to escape the burning trailer. He knew his 79-year-old mother wouldn’t make it without him.

With aching, burning feet, he waded through flames and shards of glass.

“Even though his feet were on fire, he grabbed her and got her out,” said Shelly Sullens, an Oregon dentist whose brother and mother suffered extensive injuries from a propane tank explosion at the Port Susan Camping Club grounds Tuesday morning. “It was a miracle they got out.”

On Wednesday, Shelly Sullens recounted the ordeal her brother described to her from his hospital bed.

Kevin Sullens, 53, was listed in serious condition Wednesday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. His mother, Erma, also was listed in serious condition with extensive burns.

Both were in intensive care Wednesday, said Susan Gregg-Hanson, a Harborview spokeswoman.

The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing to investigate the cause of the fire, said Gary Bontrager, a deputy fire marshal.

Shelly Sullens said her brother smelled something odd the day before the explosion. He made sure the propane tank was turned off.

He believes the tank must have been leaking when his mother turned on the oven Monday morning, Shelly Sullens said.

The explosion destroyed the trailer and a room attached to it.

“It must have been very fast,” Shelly Sullens said.

Five fire departments responded to the call at the 800-acre private campground off Marine Drive on the Tulalip Indian Reservation.

Shelly Sullens on Wednesday was hoping for the best for her brother and mom — a widow and mother of six.

She is thankful for her brother’s quick action to get their mom to safety.

“He had to walk on legs with skin hanging off,” she said. “He is a hero to me.”