Tree service in Sherman County, Oregon
Fire is the tree hazard that sets Sherman County apart: USDA’s Forest Service puts its wildfire risk to homes higher than 89% of Oregon counties. NOAA logged 75 storm reports here since 2016, 11 of them wildfire.
Ranks 31 of 36 Oregon counties for wind, ice, snow and storm reports.
65% of reports fall November through February.
FEMA National Risk Index rates wildfire as “Relatively Moderate” here.
+9.5% since 2020 (Census Vintage 2025).
USDA 2023 zone covering most of the county.
Storm records for Sherman County
Wildfire stands out in Sherman County’s storm record in a way it does not in most of Oregon. NOAA’s 75 reports since 2016 include 11 wildfire entries, behind heavy snow at 30 and high wind at 24. Thunderstorm wind (5), ice storm (3), winter storm and hail fill out the rest, and the total ranks 31st of Oregon’s 36 counties.
Winter still brings the most reports: February has 17, January 16 and December 11, so 65% fall between November and February. Unlike wetter counties, though, every month from March through August logs between three and eight. The pace has dropped sharply, from 29 reports in 2020 through 2022 to 12 in 2023 through 2025, about 59% fewer.
On a dry-side property with few trees, the ones near the house matter most. Windbreaks and yard trees that touch the roof are fuel; defensible space work is tree work here.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 30 |
| High Wind | 24 |
| Wildfire | 11 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 5 |
| Ice Storm | 3 |
| Winter Storm | 1 |
| Hail | 1 |
The largest episode began January 2, 2022, a long stretch of northwest flow that pushed repeated rounds of moisture into the region. Mountain zones saw heavy upslope snow nearly every day, while passing fronts and upper-level troughs brought snow and spells of freezing rain to lower ground, with strong winds at the start and end. NOAA logged five reports for the East Columbia River Gorge and North Central Oregon zones: three for high wind and two for heavy snow.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: East Columbia River Gorge; North Central Oregon.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to June 2026 · NWS zone-county correlation files (2019 to 2026 versions). Checked 2026-10-02. NOAA Storm Events 2016-2026; zone-based events assigned to every county the NWS zone covers using the zone-county correlation file in force on the event date (2019-04-02 file used for 2016-2018).
Hazard ratings
Strong wind: Very LowIce storm: Relatively LowWinter weather: Very LowWildfire: Relatively Moderate
FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Sherman County Very Low overall and Very Low for strong wind and winter weather, Relatively Low for ice storms, and Relatively Moderate for wildfire with a score of 90.2. The pattern is clear: storms seldom drop trees here, but fire is a real exposure.
The USDA figure, wildfire risk to homes higher than 89% of Oregon counties, means tree work should start with spacing. Limb up trees near the house, clear dead wood and keep crowns off the roof.
Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 89% of Oregon counties (USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities).
What to do about wildfire exposure: defensible space in Washington and Oregon.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release · USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (April 2026 download). Checked 2026-10-02.
Burning the debris
Oregon DEQ sets the burning rules for Sherman County under the statewide OAR 340-264, with no county-specific chapter. Given the county’s wildfire record, check fire-season restrictions with your local fire district before burning any brush. The Oregon burning guide has the statewide conditions.
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Oregon.
Source: Oregon DEQ. Checked 2026-10-02.
Power lines and utilities
No electric utility is mapped for Sherman County on this site yet, so outage numbers and line-clearance rules are not shown here. Look up your utility on your bill and start at the utilities index. With 24 high-wind reports in the record, a tree near a line on an open lot is worth reporting before the next blow.
| Utility | Outage line | Tree trimming requests |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific Power (PacifiCorp) | 1-877-508-5088; text OUT to 722797 (source: https://www.pacificpower.net/outages-safety.html) | request page |
Source: utility vegetation-management pages linked above; OAR 437-002-0306 (OR-OSHA). Checked 2026-10-02.
Cities and towns in Sherman County
Sherman County has 2,051 residents (Census, 2025 estimate, up 9.5% since 2020) across 824 square miles. No town in the county has a city page here yet. If your tree is inside a town, ask city hall about street-tree or right-of-way rules; the Oregon permit guide covers how cities usually handle it.
| Place | Population | Private-tree permit rule |
|---|
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Vintage 2025 and 2020 Census. Checked 2026-10-02. Permit rules from each city’s code; see the city pages.
Labor index
No metro wage series covers Sherman County, so this page uses BLS’s Oregon statewide mean for tree trimmers and pruners: $35.40 an hour. That is a wage, not a price; the modeled crew rate below adds burden, equipment and overhead. With no local landscaping-firm count published for the county, ask any crew how travel time is billed.
Oregon statewide: $35.40 per hour mean wage for tree trimmers and pruners (BLS, May 2025); no metro estimate is published, so the statewide figure is shown. This is a labor index, not a price; the modeled crew-hour cost used on this site is $225 (method).
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013 · U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 561730. Checked 2026-10-02.
Climate and growing conditions
Sherman County is mostly USDA hardiness zone 7a, with 7b and 8a in lower spots near the river. Replant with drought-tolerant species, space them well apart from the house given the wildfire rating, and plan on summer watering for the first two years.
USDA hardiness zones 7a, 7b, 8a (2023 map, by ZIP code).
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
Nearby counties
- Gilliam County82 storm reports since 2016
- Wasco County145 storm reports since 2016
- Hood River County142 storm reports since 2016
- Morrow County82 storm reports since 2016
- Wheeler County94 storm reports since 2016
What to do next
Start with what is closest to the house: dead limbs, crowns over the roof, and trees that would carry fire. A risk assessment helps sort what needs trimming from what needs removal.
Before hiring, confirm the company’s CCB license through the Oregon tree service license lookup.
Services: tree removal · trimming · stump grinding · emergency. Check any company: Oregon license lookup.
Major storms that reached Sherman County
These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in Sherman County since 2016. Each storm page lists the dates, report counts and the other counties hit.
Sources
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to June 2026, checked 2026-10-02.
- NWS zone-county correlation files (2019 to 2026 versions), checked 2026-10-02.
- FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release, checked 2026-10-02.
- USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (April 2026 download), checked 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Vintage 2025 and 2020 Census, checked 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 561730, checked 2026-10-02.
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data), checked 2026-10-02.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013, checked 2026-10-02.
- Oregon DEQ, checked 2026-10-02.
- Pacific Power (PacifiCorp) vegetation management, checked 2026-10-02.
Comparing quotes? Check these eight things first.
Two quotes for the same tree can differ by thousands. The gap is usually in what's included, not the cutting.
We don't vet or license anyone. These are the official lookups; each takes about a minute.
| What | Where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon CCB license | CCB license search | Active status, bond, insurance on file, complaints |
| Oregon LCB license | LCB verify a license | Landscape contracting license, which covers tree work |
| Washington contractor registration | L&I Verify | Registration, bond, workers' comp, lawsuits, violations |
| ISA Certified Arborist | ISA directory | Current certification and credential number |
How to read them: Oregon guide · Washington guide
Westcoast-Tree.org is an independent information site. If you call a number on this site, the call goes to a tree service that covers your area and we may be paid a referral fee by that company. We don't perform tree work and we don't vet, license or insure anyone. Cost figures are modeled estimates, not quotes (method). Not affiliated with the former Westcoast Tree Care Inc of Tumwater, WA.