Elyria High football coach dies in accidental fire

ELYRIA — An apartment fire early Tuesday morning on Washington Avenue in Elyria killed a football coach from Elyria High School. The Elyria Fire Department received a call just before 3 a.m. about a fire in an apartment at 283 Washington Ave. There, firefighters found fire coming out of the window of the apartment. Interim Chief Joe Pronesti said firefighters found a 27-year-old male, identified as De'Van Bogard, lying deceased inside the door of the building. Bogard was the linebacker and weightlifting coach for football at Elyria High School. He played football for Ohio State University as a defensive back and was a four-star recruit out of Glenville High School in Cleveland in 2012. However, his time at Ohio State was plagued by three torn ACLs. Elyria Schools spokeswoman Amy Higgins said Bogard's death was heartbreaking for the coaches and athletes. She said the team is very connected and Bogard was very much a part of that. Coaches found out Tuesday afternoon and head coach Devlin Culliver gathered the team together to tell them. Higgins said social workers and counselors were on hand to help students with their grief. Those counselors and social workers will be available throughout the rest of the week. Pronesti said the cause of the fire was not suspicious and was determined to be accidental. An electrical fire was ruled out. It is believed to have started in the living room near the couch. Pronesti said firefighters believe Bogard was in the bedroom when he was alerted to the fire and tried to get out. The apartment has severe smoke and fire damages, about $25,000 worth. But Pronesti said firefighters were able to keep the blaze contained to the single apartment. Coming out of fire prevention week, Pronesti said it's important that people check their smoke detectors and sleep with their bedroom door closed. A bedroom door will hold back a lot of heat and fire and buy a lot of time, Pronesti said. The smoke detectors in the apartment complex's hallway were working. A neighbor was alerted to the fire and used a fire extinguisher to try and put it out. A GoFundMe has been set up to help with funeral expenses. Contact Laina Yost at 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com.