VIDEO: Firefighters continue their search for a cause for Friday evening’s fire on La Crosse’s Northside. Crews used half a million gallons of water to put the fire out. Last Friday La Crosse fire crews fought an industrial fire at Alter Metal Recycling in the La Crosse Industrial Park on the Northside. The thick black smoke shot in the air came from, what La Crosse Fire Department officials confirm, were 100 cars burning in a scrapyard. The smoke was seen clear as day on News 8 Now’s City Cam. The combination of the wind and scrap material meant this situation had the potential to become very dangerous. La Crosse Fire officials tell News 8 Now, investigators are working to find the cause. An official with the Wisconsin DNR says they are aware of the situation and will monitor it moving forward as needed.